As the Celtics rest, here are 5 things to watch in the remainder of the Knicks-Pistons series
“I’m going to take advantage of that and be ready to go for whoever is next.”
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Orlando and its young stars put up a fight, but the Celtics made the Magic disappear once Paolo Banchero picked up his fifth foul on Tuesday night.
The Celtics, who won the clincher by 31 points, earned some rest by closing out the opening-round series in five games.
The Knicks lost Tuesday’s Game 5 to the Pistons and have to travel back to Detroit for Game 6 on Thursday night. That series is the only Eastern Conference series still going. If the Knicks lose again, Game 7 will be at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The Celtics, who were without Jrue Holiday for the last three games, are looking forward to resting while their opponent is still playing.
“I’m going to take advantage of that and be ready to go for whoever is next,” said Jaylen Brown.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked for his initial impressions on what stands out about the Knicks and Pistons. Instead, Mazzulla listed three things he wants to see the Celtics do in the next round.
“[Win] the margins,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to defend without fouling and take care of the basketball.”
Here are five things to watch in the New York-Detroit series going forward:
⋅ Brunson in the clutch. Jayson Tatum was on the ballot for the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award, but the winner was Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
Brunson averaged a league-best 5.6 points while shooting 51.5 percent from the field in clutch situations, which are defined as possessions in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within 5 points. He was third in the league in assists (28) during those moments.
“The Knicks are a very talented team,” Al Horford said. “Obviously, Brunson is their leader. He presents a lot of problems.”
Four of the first five games of the Knicks-Pistons series were decided by 6 points or fewer.
The Celtics competed a four-game, regular-season series sweep against the Knicks with a 119-117 overtime win at Madison Square Garden on April 8. The Celtics won the first three games by an average of 21 points.
⋅ Cunningham’s ascension. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham played 70 games for the first time in his career and made his first All-Star team this season. He has raised his game across the board, averaging career highs in points, assists, blocks, and field goal percentage.
His rise put the Pistons in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and he’s one home win away from forcing a Game 7 in his first playoff series.
“That’s a gritty team, a tough team that plays hard,” Horford said. “Cunningham has been having an unbelievable year.”
The 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pounder is averaging 25.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 8.6 rebounds against the Knicks.
Cunningham’s peers voted him the most underrated player in the NBA in an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic. The Celtics’ Derrick White was second.
⋅ Defending the three. For most of the series, the Magic tested the Celtics’ ability to find ways to win while shooting below their standards from 3-point range.
The Celtics made 11.8 3-pointers per game, down from 17.8 during the regular season. Overwhelming opponents with 3-pointers is a significant part of the Celtics’ identity, and taking away the 3-point line was a big part of the Magic’s.
Neither the Knicks nor the Pistons have been as nearly as good at taking away threes. Detroit and New York were 25th and 26th, respectively, in the league at opponent 3-point percentage during the regular season.
⋅ Detroit’s sixth man. If the Pistons win, the winner and runner-up for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award will face off in the second round.
Boston’s Payton Pritchard was the winner, with 82 first-place votes and 454 total points. Pritchard’s offensive production dipped to 9.2 points and 1.2 assists per game against the Magic.
He only got 6.2 shot attempts per game but managed to shoot 51.2 percent from the field.
Detroit’s Malik Beasley was second to Pritchard in the award voting. He also has had a tough first round, shooting 35 percent from the field.
Both are capable of putting up points in a hurry, and typically excel at knocking down shots from beyond the arc.
⋅ Whether history will repeat itself. The Knicks were in a similar spot last year. They were up, 3-2, on the Pacers in the second round before losing the final two games by double digits.
They made splashy offseason moves, such as sending Julius Randle to Minnesota in a three-team trade for Karl-Anthony Towns and swapping five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges, in hopes of prevailing in these situations.
The Knicks weren’t fully healthy last year, and it was part of the reason they flamed out.
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