Pistons Fall Apart in Fourth Quarter as Knicks Take Game 1, Extending Detroit’s Playoff Losing Streak to 15
NEW YORK (AP) – The Detroit Pistons appeared poised to snap the longest playoff losing streak in NBA history on Saturday night. For three quarters, they played with control and confidence in their first postseason game since 2019.
However, a disastrous fourth quarter unraveled their efforts, allowing the New York Knicks to surge ahead with a 21-0 run. Detroit couldn’t recover and ultimately lost 123-112 in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
The Pistons led 98-90 early in the final quarter but quickly lost their momentum. Turnovers piled up, starting with a 5-second inbounds violation followed by a 24-second shot clock violation. In total, Detroit committed eight turnovers in the fourth quarter, leading to 11 Knicks points. The Pistons were outscored 40-21 and shot just 31.8% (7 of 22) from the field during that stretch.
Cade Cunningham recorded 21 points and 12 assists but struggled with efficiency, shooting 8-for-21 and committing six turnovers. Despite the disappointing result, Cunningham emphasized that he approached the game like any other and viewed it as a valuable learning experience.
“This game got away from us,” he admitted.
Detroit, the No. 6 seed, had improved dramatically from the previous season with a 44-38 record, a 30-win jump—one of the largest year-to-year improvements in league history. Until the fourth-quarter collapse, they had shown the kind of composure that had defined their impressive season.
Forward Tobias Harris echoed a calm approach moving forward: “It’s a series. You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low.”
Detroit’s postseason losing streak now stands at 15 games, dating back to Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals.
