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Cam Payne Had Madison Square Garden So Fired Up After Fourth-Quarter Comeback

Payne was spectacular down the stretch as the Knicks took Game 1.

Kyle Koster

Cam Payne celebrates his huge fourth quarter against the Pistons in the Knicks' Game 1 victory.
Cam Payne celebrates his huge fourth quarter against the Pistons in the Knicks' Game 1 victory. / ESPN
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The New York Knicks entered the fourth quarter Saturday night trailing the Detroit Pistons by eight points and in real danger of surrendering homecourt advantage in their Eastern Conference playoff series. But reserve guard Cam Payne turned up his intensity on the opening inbound play of the final period, causing the Pistons to commit a five-second violation, which proved to be the turning point of the game. New York outscored Detroit 40-21 over the final 12 minutes en route to a 123-112 victory — a stretch that included an incredible 21-0 Knicks' run.

Payne himself scored 11 during the decisive stretch and served as the spark that awoke a team that looked sluggish through the first three quarters. The torrid play conjured up memories of Payne's enormous contributions for the Phoenix Suns during their run to the 2021 NBA Finals.

After the final outcome was no longer in doubt, Payne returned to the bench and was treated to a standing ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd, a moment he very much enjoyed and celebrated.

Game 2 of the Pistons-Knicks series is Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. We'll see how, or if, the Pistons can respond after completely coming off the tracks and failing to capitalize on a golden opportunity.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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