Pistons snap playoff drought, steal Game 2 at MSG behind Schroder’s dagger

The Pistons came into Madison Square Garden for Game 2 and did something no one expected—they not only tied the series, but snapped a brutal 15-game postseason losing streak in the process.

Behind Dennis Schroder’s cold-blooded 25-foot three-pointer with 55.1 seconds left and a defensive stand in the final moments, Detroit silenced the crowd with a 100-94 win, sending the series back to Motor City tied at one apiece.

The Knicks had their shot. After clawing back from a 13-point deficit with just over seven minutes left, they found themselves tied 94-94 after a Josh Hart fast-break dunk with 1:15 to go. That momentum swing came on the back of Jalen Brunson, who once again took over down the stretch.

Brunson scored 11 of the Knicks’ 18 fourth-quarter points, including a clutch triple to kick off the rally and several fearless drives that not only drew contact but saw Ausar Thompson foul out. The Garden was rocking—until it wasn’t.

Schroder, stepping in for Thompson, calmly drilled what turned out to be the game-winner, and with 11 seconds left, Mikal Bridges had a clean look to tie it… but his shot was off. The Knicks didn’t score again after Hart’s dunk. Schroder finished with 20 off the bench and proved to be the difference-maker late, showing the kind of poise that had been missing in Game 1.

“When you’re winning, everything’s easy. After a loss, you see the true character of a team. It’s the playoffs. The series is 1-1.”

– Josh Hart

Brunson ended the night with a game-high 37 points and added 7 assists and 2 steals, but also turned the ball over six times. He was fighting to keep the Knicks alive for most of the night. Mikal Bridges added 19 but struggled from beyond the arc, going just 3-of-11 from deep. Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Hart all scored 10 points apiece, but Towns looked gassed after his big Game 1, grabbing only 6 boards on 5-of-11 shooting.

The Knicks’ bench was a non-factor, contributing just 8 points—8 of which came from Miles McBride. Cameron Payne played only four minutes, picking up three fouls and never returning. Once again, Tom Thibodeau leaned heavily on his starters, playing three of them 40 minutes or more.

Detroit, on the other hand, had more balance and more energy. Cade Cunningham was a force with 33 points and 12 rebounds, making his mark on both ends in his second playoff appearance. Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren each posted double-doubles, and the Pistons owned the glass, outrebounding the Knicks 48-34. While they did commit 16 turnovers to New York’s 14, it was a significant improvement over the 21 they coughed up in Game 1.

The Knicks were kept to just 18 points in both the first and third quarters—a huge factor in a game they never truly controlled. Even their late run felt like a gasp of desperation more than a sustainable push. Detroit stayed calm, made shots when it mattered, and leaned on their depth—outscoring the Knicks’ bench 35-8.

Now the series heads to Detroit for Games 3 and 4, and what once felt like a Knicks-dominated matchup suddenly feels wide open. Game 3 tips off Thursday at 7:00 p.m., live on MSG and TNT. The pressure? Firmly back on New York.