The New York Knicks took a 1-0 series lead over the Detroit Pistons with a 123-112 home win on Saturday in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Knicks earned the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference after a 51-31 finish to the regular season. The Pistons, meanwhile, grabbed the conference’s No. 6 seed after one of the biggest season-to-season turnarounds in recent NBA history. Game 2 is set for Monday evening at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks have championship aspirations after making two big moves in the offseason. This is the first Knicks playoff series for both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, who came over in offseason trades last year. They both have fit in well in New York, and Towns (24.4 points per game on 42% 3-point shooting) led the charge alongside Jalen Brunson (26 points and 7.3 assists per game) for the NBA’s fifth-ranked offense in the regular season.
The Knicks are trying to advance to the second round for the second year in a row. The Pistons have not won a playoff series since 2008. This marks Detroit’s first postseason appearance since 2019, and J.B. Bickerstaff is getting Coach of the Year buzz for winning 44 games with a team that totaled 14 wins last season. Cade Cunningham enjoyed a breakout regular season for the Pistons, earning an All-Star nod while averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Knicks vs. Pistons schedule
All times Eastern
Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112Game 2: Monday, April 21 | Pistons at Knicks | 7:30 p.m., TNT/MaxGame 3: Thursday, April 24 | Knicks at Pistons | Time TBD, TNT/Max
Game 4: Sunday, April 27 | Knicks at Pistons | 1 p.m., ABC/fubo
*Game 5: Tuesday, April 29 | Pistons at Knicks | Time/TV TBD*Game 6: Thursday, May 1 | Knicks at Pistons | Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Saturday, May 3 | Pistons at Knicks | Time/TV TBD
Knicks vs. Pistons odds
Odds via BetMGM
- Series odds: Knicks -425, Pistons +325
- Game 1 odds: Knicks -6.5, O/U: 220.5
CBS Sports will have updates and analysis below throughout the Knicks-Pistons series.
