Knicks Sound Off on Late Run vs. Pistons

The New York Knicks needed a 21-0 run to come out on top against the Detroit Pistons.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are up 1-0 in their series against the Detroit Pistons thanks to a 21-0 run that the team curated during the fourth quarter.

Out of the team's 21 points, 17 of those came from point guards Cam Payne and Jalen Brunson.

“I got some experience, I’ve been there before,” Payne said via The Athletic insider James Edwards III. “I know how the fourth quarter gets. You still gotta play your game, you still gotta play Knicks basketball at the end of the day. You can’t get bottled up within the game. We just gotta be ourselves.”

Brunson also used his experience to build confidence as the Knicks were coming back.

“There was never a doubt that we were not going to just lay down and not fight. We were going to figure out ways to keep battling," Brunson said via Edwards. "It was a quick turnaround and just happy with the way we played in the fourth.”

It wasn't just the offense that helped the Knicks during that run. The team's defense also played a major factor late in the game.

“Defensively is where we made that run,” Josh Hart said via Edwards. “We got stops. Got out, got easy buckets. Cam came in and was electric for us. It was huge. We’ve got to make sure we build off that.”

The efforts on both ends of the floor made head coach Tom Thibodeau happy and excited for what's to come.

“I thought our defense got us going,” Thibodeau said via Edwards. “We got some stops. We got into the open floor. And we got some easy scoring opportunities.”

If the Knicks play like they did during their late run, they should be a tough team to stop during the playoffs.

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