The final quarter is a fierce battle to determine the world: Pistons counterattack the Knicks continue the suspense of the series

On April 30, the fifth match between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs staged a life-and-death battle at the Madison Square Garden Arena. Faced with the shocking booing of home fans, the Pistons hit a 16-4 attack wave in the final quarter, narrowly defeating the Knicks 106-103, and tied the total score of the series to 2-3. This victory not only demonstrated the resilience of the Pistons youth team, but also exposed the Knicks' fatal shortcomings in key ball handling.

Offensive and Defensive Game: The Pistons used team basketball to tear the Knicks apart 3-1 before this game, the Knicks once held the match point with the strong performance of stars such as Brunson and Towns. However, the Pistons showed a completely different tactical appearance in this game - the team sent 27 assists, with a three-point shooting percentage of up to 41.2%, and both data set a record high in the series. Head coach Jeff Ball's tactical adjustments are exquisite: When the Knicks tried to hit the inside through Towns Bridges' high pick-and-roll, the Pistons chose to double-team the outside and forced the Knicks to make 23 mistakes, six of which were directly converted into scores.

core player Jaylen Cunningham's evolution became the winner. The 2021 No. 1 pick scored quasi-triple double-digit data with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in this game, and his threat to the ball end was significantly higher than the early stage of the series. At the critical moment of the fourth quarter, Cunningham broke through three consecutive passes and assisted Osar Ivey to complete a dunk, which completely ignited the enthusiasm of away fans. \"We found the real pace of the game," Cunningham said after the game, "When the defensive rotation speeds up, the opponent's star players will be isolated. \"

The Knicks' Lost: Stars' singles are hard to beat the system, crushing the Knicks, in contrast, although Brunson contributed a stable output of 16 points and 7 assists, the team's three-point shooting percentage fell to 28.6%, and the inside score was limited to 38 points - both data hit a new low in the last five playoffs. Zion Williamson was absent from the second consecutive game due to a knee injury, causing the team to lose seriously in the penalty area. Robinson and Hart made 8 pass mistakes in total, exposing the weak links in the front line defense.

It is interesting that the Knicks tried 42 jump shots outside the paint area in this game, hitting only 13 goals. The "five foreign tactics" that head coach Thibodeau insisted completely failed in the Pistons' targeted joint defense. Towns was forced to force the two wings on the paint area many times, and the efficiency of 17 free throws was only 11 times, reflecting the singularity of his ending method.

X Factor: The role player's fatal blow

Pistons' bench played the role of surprise in this game. Schroeder made a substitute and scored 14 points and 6 assists, and his breakthrough pass directly activated Ivy's fast attack system. On the Knicks, although Anunobi scored 19 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks, no one in the team scored double-digit points except Bridges, exposing the structural problem of over-reliance on singles by stars.

The last 3 minutes of the game became a textbook for tactical games: When the Knicks set off a small lineup to try to speed up, the Pistons quickly changed to defend against Brunson, and Ivey seized the opportunity to cut the ball into the axe. 18 seconds before the final game, Cunningham blocked Hart's three-pointer on the defensive end and personally scored a key mid-range shot to secure the victory. "We prove that young teams can also stay calm under high pressure," the slogans sounded in the Pistons locker room revealed the true meaning of victory.

Series Preview: Life and Death Battle Becomes the Ultimate Touchstone

After this game, the two sides have scored 2-3, and the Battle of Tianwangshan in G6 will be held at home in Detroit on May 2. For the Pistons, how to continue the defensive intensity in the final quarter will become the key - they grabbed 51 rebounds in this game, of which 14 offensive rebounds were directly converted into second offensive scores. If the Knicks want to avoid being swept, they must solve the problem of three-point shooting shortage: the average three-point shooting percentage averaged by only 34.7% in the series, which is difficult to support their ambition to hit the championship.

From a more macro perspective, this victory marks a substantial breakthrough in the road to reconstruction of the pistons. The backcourt dual cores composed of Cunningham and Ivy gradually found chemical reactions, and center Jaren Durham's dominant performance averaged 12.3 rebounds per game has allowed this team with an average age of 24.7 to see the future. For Thibodeau, how to find a balance between lineup rotation and tactical flexibility will become the key to determining the direction of the series.

The basketball world never believes in scripts, but the story of Detroit's counterattack has written a new chapter. When the final whistle sounded, the sighs of Madison Square Garden Arena and the cheers of Little Caesar Arena intertwined into the most moving symphony of basketball - which is exactly the charm of competitive sports.