Shara Talia Taylor reports from MSG as New York looks to regroup after letting a closeout opportunity slip.
The New York Knicks find themselves back in Michigan tonight for a must-win Game Six against the Detroit Pistons. Despite a commanding 3–1 lead in the series, New York missed its shot to advance after a sluggish showing in Game Five — slow starts, missed chances, and late-game mistakes proved costly.
Karl-Anthony Towns kept it simple: “Win the game, that’s on the top of the list for sure.”
Detroit, paced by Cade Cunningham’s 24 points, took advantage. Cunningham sealed it late, sinking two clutch free throws after a Jalen Brunson foul with 5.1 seconds left. Ausar Thompson’s relentless defense and Tobias Harris’ all-around effort (17 points, 2 steals, 4 blocks) fueled the Pistons’ fourth-quarter surge.
“Ausar was phenomenal,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “And Cade — he’s the guy.”
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stressed the need to reset and adapt. “The challenge is to reset,” Thibodeau said. “Every game is different.”
Injuries didn’t help. Several Knicks left Game Five banged up, forcing Thibodeau to juggle lineups late. “We had some guys that were out . . . you didn’t know when they were coming back.”
Veteran analyst Rob Parker, speaking before Game Five, stressed that the Knicks couldn’t afford to let this series drag. “You don’t want to string it out longer than it needs to be,” he warned. “Make Cunningham work. Nothing easy.”
With Boston looming, the Knicks now face a defining test. Game Six will tell if they can finish the job — or leave the door open for doubt.
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