Tonight in Michigan, the New York Knicks (23*-12) take the court at Little Caesars Arena to battle the conference-leading Detroit Pistons (26-9).
On May 1, 2025, the Knicks closed out their first-round
series with a Brunson bang, edging the Pistons 116–113 in Game 6 behind a dominant 40-point performance from Jalen. After leading most of the night and surviving a late Pistons surge that briefly upended the game in the fourth quarter, New York leaned on Captain Clutch down the stretch.
This season, Detroit has been one of the league’s biggest stories. After jumping from the bottom of the standings to a playoff team, they’ve followed it up by winning nearly three-quarters of their games so far. Bickerstaff’s boys pair a top-ten offense with the league’s second-best defensive rating. They’re among the league leaders on the glass (third), control the paint on both ends, and rarely give opponents easy second chances.
Cade Cunningham drives the bus, with nightly production around 27 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds. No team is flawless, however, and Detroit is no exception. Their three-point shooting cooled in December and they have lost three of their last five games. The foundation is sturdy, though, and some nights it’s scary.
The Knicks, meanwhile, have also hit a rough patch since winning the NBA Cup. They’ve dropped three straight and clearly feel the absence of Josh Hart. He’ll be out again tonight, nursing that cursed ankle, but so will Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris on the other side. Every so often, the basketball gods have throw us a bone. . . .
Prediction
ESPN.com likes our fellas at 61%. Humdinger! That seems generous, but the Pistons will be disadvantaged without Duren’s nightly 18-11 double-double and Harris’ 14-ish points. With Hart M.I.A., New York has looked lost of late, so a big game by Cap and KAT against a shorthanded Detroit squad is just what the doctor ordered. A win tonight would lift the mood of the team just before they embark on a West Coast trip (with one stop back home on Wednesday) and stuff a sock in those yappers who think New York is lesser than Detroit. Knicks do it by four.
Game Details
Date: Monday, January 5, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Place: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
TV: Peacock
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
