The Knicks’ first-round matchup is officially set.
With the Pacers’ loss to the Magic and the Bucks beating the Pistons, New York has locked up the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and they’ll take on Detroit in the opening round.
The Knicks struggled against the young and hungry Pistons this year, going 3-1 in the season series.
The latest matchup was on Thursday night when New York blew a double-digit third advantage, as poor second-half shooting and sloppy turnovers led to a 115-106 loss.
New York won their first matchup back on Nov. 1 of last year, 128-98, in Detroit. However, the Pistons won back-to-back games at MSG following that loss. They won 120-111 on Dec. 7, 2024, and 124-119 on Jan. 13.
The two have met three other times in the playoffs.
