When Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. spearheaded a vicious Milwaukee Bucks (45-34) fourth-quarter comeback win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, they inched one step closer to securing the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. And, consequently, the Bucks’ win pushed the Detroit Pistons (43-36) closer to being locked in as the sixth seed.
The New York Knicks (50-29) occupy the third spot and are two games ahead of the Indiana Pacers (48-31).
The Pistons are three games from the playoffs, have clinched a top-six seed in the East for the first time since 2008 and play against their potential first-round matchup Thursday in the Knicks, if New York maintains the third seed. This duel offers each team an early glimpse of the squad it will likely need to beat four times to move deeper into the postseason.
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As it stands entering Thursday, Milwaukee is fifth in the East and two games ahead of Detroit. If the Bucks win their matchup Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Knicks beat Detroit, Milwaukee will clinch the fifth seed. But if the Pistons or Pelicans win Thursday, the Bucks would need to defeat Detroit in one of the teams’ two final matchups.
The Pistons are 79 games into their regular season, but these final three are as consequential as any to who they could end up playing in just over a week.
The last time Detroit and the Knicks matched up, on Jan. 13, Cade Cunningham’s 36-point night led the Pistons to a win. That victory did more for Detroit than just add to its win column.
“I do think that was one of the games, the last time we played there, where belief really grew in our group that we could do things,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after practice Wednesday. “That we could beat good teams. And to do it in a place like Madison Square Garden, the Garden, where that energy is so amazing and the fans are so good.
“They’re on top of you, they’re yelling, they’re screaming. There’s no more adverse environment than playing in the Garden when the Knicks are good. So, it was great for us to be able to go in there, keep our composure, absorb their runs, go on our runs and won the game going away.”
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Enjoying adverse environments can be a result of knowing you have Cunningham on your roster.
Cunningham, alongside Bickerstaff and the rest of this Detroit group, led the Pistons to a 2-1 season series lead over the Knicks. The latest SLAM Magazine cover athlete played particularly well in Madison Square Garden this season. He’s averaging 29 points on 52.4 percent from the field and 55 percent from 3-point range, 8.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds during his three games against New York this year.
The real is BACK in the 313. Cade Cunningham and the Pistons have been firing on all cylinders this season.
They tripled their wins since last year so we’re dropping TWO new covers for all of Detroit to celebrate.
SLAM 255 is out now: https://t.co/Obhdz3kbOU pic.twitter.com/GjyFdENue2
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 9, 2025
The Knicks’ trio of wing defenders, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, played in all three games. None of the Knicks’ specialists could deter Cunningham from orchestrating the Detroit offense however he saw fit.
“Cade is really good at basketball,” Bickerstaff joked about Cunningham’s success this season against the Knicks. “When he’s going, he’s able to dictate the game and the decisions on how they’re going to guard him, and I think he read that game really, really well. From the standpoint of when they were aggressive, there was opportunities for him to make plays.
“When it was just a one-on-one situation, it was time for him to go score. I just felt like he balanced the game really well and manipulated it to his favor.”
Before returning Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies, Cunningham had been sidelined for six consecutive games with a left calf contusion.
Cunningham is now listed as probable for Thursday with left patellar tendinopathy. Tobias Harris, who played 22 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2 before exiting with right heel soreness, is listed as probable as well. Isaiah Stewart is dealing with right knee inflammation and is questionable for Thursday.
Jalen Duren, who isn’t listed on the team’s injury report, spoke with reporters Wednesday about where he felt the Pistons were last time they faced off against the Knicks.
“During that time, we were rolling,” Duren said as he reflected. “I think that was a time in the season where, as a team, everybody was in a good rhythm. Guys were making shots, and we were together. Not saying we’re not now, but it was a great time during the season. We’re going to get right back to that.”
Detroit has lost four of its last five games and is 5-5 through its last 10.
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Every team fighting for a postseason spot or already gearing up for the playoffs has to overcome injury obstacles internally. The Pistons are no different. Even though their injury report is more robust than usual, they aren’t seeking to minimize the importance of these final games.
“You put a lot of weight into it,” Duren said of Thursday’s matchup against New York. “You understand that’s a team we could see, and you understand who they have over there and what they’ve done and everything they’ve got coming with the team.”
Thursday is a unique chance for the Pistons to balance being present in their matchup against the Knicks while not putting all of their cards on the table, given these teams are potentially looking at matchups for a playoff series in roughly a week.
“I think it’s fun when you have an opportunity for both teams to kind of go out and send a message,” Bickerstaff said. “You want to prove that you’re competitive. It’s an opportunity to show you can do whatever is necessary to win a game or execute your coverages, all of the small things.
“It’ll be a fun one, I’m sure about that. I know our guys will go out and compete their tails off like they always do.”
(Photo of Cade Cunningham: Brad Penner / Imagn Images)