On Sunday afternoon, a blue, long-suffering New York-based franchise will get to participate in a playoff game that has literally been years in the making, doing so in a Midwestern setting.
We are, of course, referring to the New York Knicks’ Sunday showdown with the Detroit Pistons.
Granted, Sunday’s hosts are far removed from the playoff conversation, but the Knicks are in the thick of the ongoing Eastern Conference postseason hunt, holding the last of the six automatic Eastern Conference playoff spots with a 13-6 mark since Dec. 4. A good part of New York’s early success … literally one-eighth of their victories … has come against the Pistons, as the Knicks will go for their third consecutive season sweep after taking home the first three get-togethers this season, those triumphs coming by an average margin of 21 points.
Whereas the Knicks are handling business in pursuit of a playoff berth, Detroit is doing likewise in reverse fashion: entering Sunday action, the Pistons have the third-best odds at the top draft pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, having dropped four of their last five games.
What: New York Knicks (24-19) @ Detroit Pistons (12-34)
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
When/Watch: Sunday, 1 pm ET, MSG/MSG Go
Who’s Favored: NYK -7.5
Keep An Eye On: Julius Randle
The Randle revolution, one that has carried on to the tune of 15 double-doubles over the last 16 games, perhaps started with a brilliant birthday in the Motor City: Randle turned Little Caesars Arena into his own personal Chuck E. Cheese’s with a then -season best 36 points to celebrate his 28th back on Nov. 29.
Much like Friday’s win over Washington, Randle’s birthday featured a little bit of posterization, with Isaiah Stewart falling victim that night. Stewart has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game.
That night in Detroit was only Randle’s third 30-point game of the year. Since then, he’s added six more and it serves as a strong barometer of the Knicks’ fortunes: New York is 8-3 when Randle reaches that box score plateau this season.
Pistons to Watch: Jaden Ivey
There’s little, if any, reason to watch the Pistons if you’re expecting immediate results: Cade Cunningham’s early exit has been well-established and Detroit is also missing promising rookie Jalen Duren. Ivey, once considered a Knicks target to fulfill the point guard role since being taken over by Jalen Brunson, has had to grow up in a hurry in Detroit and has mostly embraced the spotlight. On Dec. 20, Ivey joined some vaunted Pistons company, becoming just the fourth Motor City freshman since Grant Hill’s 1995 arrival to score at least 30 in a single game.
“I’m just trying to, every game, improve whether it’s defensively or offensively,” Ivey said to Rookie Wire after that loss to Utah. “(I’m) just playing with my energy, speed and just try to do what I can do to help this team. I feel like, as a team, we just have to collectively stay focused together.”
Ivey’s been a big part of keeping the Pistons together … and sane … during this lost season. With Duren and Stewart out and Bojan Bogdanović’s status uncertain, Ivey will undoubtedly carry any hopes of an upset with him.
Prediction
Look, it’s really not fair to pile on the Pistons, but there’s no denying they’ve been “Ol’ Reliable” for the Knicks so far this season. Even as they seek loftier goals, the Knicks’ improvement over the past calendar year has perhaps been defined by their ability to take care of business against less fortunate teams. An unusual start time should be a bit of an equalizer and set the stage for sloppy play (especially early on) but that won’t be enough to completely put the Knicks off their game.
Knicks 101, Pistons 88
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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