Pistons suffer heartbreaking Game 4 loss to Knicks, down 3-1 in first-round series

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Apr 27, 2025

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DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons suffered a disappointing 94-93 Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena. Karl-Anthony Towns hit consecutive clutch 3-point field goals, preventing the Pistons from mounting a second-half comeback.

Towns finished with 27 points and nine rebounds. Cade Cunningham finished the game with his first career triple-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The game concluded with a controversial non-call during Tim Hardaway's 3-point shot attempt at the final buzzer.

Jalen Brunson hit a 3-point field goal, giving the Knicks a 14-point lead at 40-26 with five minutes left in the second quarter. At that moment, it seemed as though the Knicks were poised to secure an easy victory. However, the Pistons rallied late in the quarter and carried that momentum into the second half.

Cade Cunningham sparked the Pistons' comeback in the third quarter, putting the team ahead 55-52 with a layup at the 7:52 mark of the period. A few possessions later, he made a powerful one-handed dunk over Karl-Anthony Towns. Cunningham scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the period.

However, his most impactful contributions came on the defensive end, where he recorded four blocks. Three of his rejections came in the third period, where Detroit registered seven. The Pistons' enhanced defense during the period caused the Knicks to miss 10 of their first 11 shots from the field. Detroit won the quarter 28-14.

The Pistons led by as many as 10 points early in the fourth quarter. However, Brunson, despite his ankle injury, tied the game with four minutes left in the period by making his fourth 3-point field goal. On consecutive offensive possessions, Dennis Schröder and Cunningham hit their jump shots, giving the Pistons a four-point lead.

Brunson scored a game-high 32 points with 14 coming in the fourth quarter.

Up next

The Pistons will continue the best-of-seven series on the road with Game 5 against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is scheduled for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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