The New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons staged a heart-stopping finale that was not resolved until the last possession of the clash when Alec Burks stole a key ball from rookie Cade Cunningham that allowed Tom Thibodeau’s team to obtain their third consecutive victory 104-102 .
However, it would not be the only decisive action by Burks, since just a few seconds before he dealt an almost definitive blow scoring a triple from the corner after a sensational assist from Julius Randle, who was returning to the court after missing the last three days due to injury.
“In this league you have to be prepared to win games in any way,” Tom Thibodeau said of the 21-point loss. “We had a great advantage, but it disappeared. So we had to come back to win down the stretch,” he explained.
RJ Barrett led the Knicks’ attack with 21 points and 9 rebounds; the aforementioned Randle had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists; and Immanuel Quickley and Alec Burks each had 18 points.
Burks, sensational throughout the night, also contributed 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block with 4 of 6 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 on triples.
Despite the considerable effort of the Knicks in these last moments of the regular season, it will not be enough to catch the Hawks in the 10th place in the East. They are currently 11th, four wins behind and six games remaining against Chicago, Charlotte, Cleveland, Orlando, Brooklyn and Washington.
MVP Bagley III
The one who was number 2 in the 2018 Draft seems that he is finally finding his place in the NBA, and it is in Detroit where we are seeing his best version as a professional. Against the Knicks he started as a shot going perfect 7-for-7 shooting and being a big part of Dwane Casey’s offense in the absence of teammate Jerami Grant.
The Duke-trained power forward stood out with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block with 11 of 14 shooting from the field. Along with him, Cunningham contributed 18 points and 7 assists, and center Isaiah Stewart finished with a double-double to his credit: 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“I’m getting a great opportunity here and I have to take advantage of it,” said Bagley III. “It’s so much fun hanging out with guys who understand my game and how to put me in the places where I can be successful,” he added.
(Cover photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)