Pistons vs New York Knicks (Game 4)

Game Breakdown

*Special Situations*

• Sluggish, sluggish start offensively with TOs and seemingly a slow PACE to the offense

  • Duren contributing to the TOs but also making an impact with his energy and rebounding

  • There is almost NO FLOW offensively in the 1st quarter

  • Continues into the 2nd quarter

• TOs, TOs, TOs

  • This is the first game in the series where I have really felt like the New York defense has started a game really disrupting and dictating the Pistons offense

  • There have been stretches throughout other games

  • Cade is just too casual right now

  • I agree with JB that some of these are self inflicted

    • Maybe, I am giving New York too much credit for how Detroit’s lack of aggressiveness so far

• Down 12 late in the 1st quarter and take a timeout, they need to respond

  • Try to run their favorite action with Cade catching at the elbow but Anunoby denies the pass

    • Anunoby has been AWESOME denying actions all series long

  • Reed with the OREB and Detroit does get a bucket

  • Get a stop and clean look from the 3P line fro Beasley but missed (see below)

  • Brunson bucket, Harris miss

  • Beasley forces a TO and Harris gets to the FT line

  • Looks like they are going to get it to single digits and then New York gets multiple OREBs that lead to KAT corner 3PM

• I CAN’T STAND THE IN GAME JUMP BALL

  • Have to speed it up somehow, such a ridiculous amount of time to get the flow of play going again

• Looks like they are about to get run out of the gym at the end of the 2nd quarter….instead, they find some momentum and a little run….can they finish it off before halftime?

  • Ausar misjudges a DREB BUT forces the steal on the pass to KAT

  • THJ missed 3PA but Harris with the OREB + bucket + foul

    • WHAT A RESPONSE TO END THE HALF AFTER AN AWFUL GO OF IT UP THIS POINT

    • Also KAT 3rd foul which is something to watch for in the 2nd half

      • This comes into play EARLY in the 3rd quarter with Cade drawing a charge for his 4th (stays in the game, attack him!!!)

  • Anunoby with a HUGE momentum bucket….Detroit can still answer

  • Cade SPLIT OF THE DEFENSE and lob to Ausar

    • KEEP SPLITTING THE BALL SCREEN COVERAGE

  • Respond to end the half and have given themselves a chance

• Have ALL the momentum to start the 2nd half and just giving away opportunities

  • Hart out hustles a rebound

  • Ausar corner 3PA

  • Cade and Ausar TOs

  • THJ missed transition 3PA

  • Cade transition miss

  • They keep fighting and get it to 1 but I can’t help but bring up that they could have gotten a 3-5 point lead (IMO).....they do get it there ATO

• REED-DUREN minutes isn’t something I had on my bingo card coming into this series

  • Doesn’t last long

• You can NOT relax with Brunson being in the locker room….build this lead even more to start the 4th quarter

  • Up to 10 when Brunson returns

• I think JB should be going offense/defense as much as possible even here midway through the 4th quarter

  • Cade FTs was a chance to get Ausar back on the court for the ensuing defensive possession to guard Brunson

    • Brunson has looked VERY comfortable and confident vs everyone else

• Up 4 after clutch mid range shots from Schroder and Cade, forcing Knicks timeout

  • AUSAR SHOULD BE IN THE GAME FOR THIS ATO DEFENSIVE POSSESSION

    • He isn’t, I don’t like this decision

  • Schroder switched onto Anunoby, Harris comes to early help (instead of full scramming right away) which pulls the help defense and KAT gets a weak side C&S 3PM

    • I think THJ might have also supposed to been ready to play two (was with Bridges at the top of the key)

  • Duren with a short roll read and THJ with a BIG TIME C&S 3PM

  • Brunson attacks THJ, you have to work harder and communicate better to at least get Schroder (or even Cade) on him after a made shot

    • I understand the cross matches but in these moments I feel like there should be a bigger sense of urgency

  • Two on Cade results in THJ attacking a closeout into a mid range jump shot

    • Cade gravity can NOT be understated

    • Knicks keeping Bridges on Cade down the stretch as opposed to Anunoby

  • Incredible defensive possession and KAT makes an impossible baseline fade away as the shot clock is expiring

  • Cade mid range jumper rims out

    • Anunoby took the matchup this possession

    • NEED A STOP

  • Another incredible defensive possession from Detroit and KAT MAKES ANOTHER IMPOSSIBLE SHOT

    • Not sure Duren could have played either of these possessions better

  • Cade TO on a great dig from Hart

    • Hart just makes big plays

  • Get a missed Brunson shot attempt on a decent look

    • Wasn’t a fan of Ausar not being matched up with him

  • Go to a straight Cade isolation in the middle of the floor, he gets a good look and isn’t able to knock it down

    • THJ missed corner 3PA on what looked like contact from Hart

• Just a heartbreaking loss at home for the Pistons BUT they go back to MSG with a chance to do what they have done all year…..RESPOND

  • What do we see from this team in Game 5? I think we will see another tremendous effort from them

Pistons

• Cade, THJ, Ausar, Harris, Duren

• OFFENSE

  • Cade gets two on the ball, hits Ausar early but Ausar is unable to score OR quickly keep the advantage and Knicks defense is able to scramble and get set

    • THEY HAVE TO GET BETTER AT ATTACKING THIS

  • They connect the next time!

    • Duren gets the catch and dumps off to Ausar on the baseline

  • I feel like Cade is definitely getting the ball out of his hands quicker with this situation

    • Continues to get the ball out quick, Duren with a great short roll pass to Holland who doesn’t take the shot, hesitates to attack the closeout and result in shot clock violation

  • How are they not ready for the FC press ATO after what happened in Game 1???

    • Things like this shouldn’t be a surprise starting a quarter and should be a plan to attack them

  • Have seen the floor spacing issues with Holland and Ausar both in the first 25 minutes of the game

  • Detroit is now using Knicks scouting report defense against them

    • New York has keyed in on set actions and Detroit has finally adjusted by countering them overplaying

• DEFENSE

  • KAT post up bucket to start the game……haven’t had an answer for that yet

    • They have not yet forced him to make a mid range jump shot

    • FINALLY, first possession of 2nd half he has to take a fade away and misses

    • He showed you in Game 3 he will shoot it from deep, you can’t give him clean looks

      • Especially, with Brunson in the locker room he is going to be even more aggressive

      • Duren and now Reed have made the SAME mistake

    • First possession of 4th quarter he has to take a fade away and misses

    • Well……end of game he proves me wrong with an impossible make vs great Duren defense

  • Multiple transition miscommunications that have led to open 3PAs

    • New York just misses them in the 1st half

    • These aren’t even off live ball situations

• DUREN with a very active start to the game

  • Rebounding and a great isolation possession vs KAT defensively

    • Another one in the 2nd quarter

    • And another one in the 4th quarter

  • Stop dribbling the ball in the FC, these are just resulting in tooooo many negative plays

  • Quietly going about his business and putting together a really nice game

  • Man, he attacks KAT with the 4 fouls from the FT line but unable to convert

  • YOU CAN’T PLAY THAT FAR OFF KAT

    • There you go!! Plays up, stays engaged on the drive and gets the block from behind

  • Great contest on Payne early in the 4th

  • Also, had a tremendous screen for Cade earlier in the quarter that won’t get remembered because Cade missed the layup

• HARRIS on KAT also can cause some issues in the ball screen because he isn’t as use to defending it as Duren

  • Early 1st quarter Ausar plays it as an “ICE” and Harris is nowhere to be found on that side of the screen to help

  • KAT going to the post is also going to break down the Detroit defense if they have to bring the double

  • Just doesn’t look like he can defend KAT

    • Without Stew…..are there other options???

  • Okay, putting multiple good possessions in a row together here middle portion of the game

    • Along with trying to get in his head

  • Trying to be that 2nd offensive option and it’s not there

  • It’s been a brutal 1st half for him

    • Until the response in the final 2 minutes!!!

  • Great response from the vet until he gets called for his 5th foul with 4 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter

    • This is a HUGE development

• THJ with a great screen and re screen to get Cade his first bucket of the game

  • Off on his first two 3PAs

  • Well, maybe JB letting him shoot that FT was worth it (see below)

    • Knocks down next 3PA

    • And another one in transition

  • Overall, not an efficient game from the 3P line

    • But after all those misses hits a HUGE one at the 5 minute mark when New York was on a little run

    • And another one around 2 minute

• AUSAR with a really good stretch defensively on Brunson to start the game

  • Offensive end continues to be a struggle

    • Misshandles and OREB putback and then gets blocked (?) on a dunker spot finish opportunity in transition in the 2nd quarter

  • Tries to isolate Brunson, I like the idea, and turns it over

    • THERE YOU GO!!!

    • BLOB he posts him up and scores the basket

  • The start of this 3rd quarter has been ROUGH on the offensive end

    • Missed 3PA and multiple TOs

  • Start of the 4th quarter as well

    • Attacks in isolation and gets to a decent spot but doesn’t draw rim and then passes into the stands on a nice cut and the right decision but off target pass

• CADE with a truly rough start on the offensive end

  • How does he not get the clear path FTA in the 2nd quarter???

    • THJ needs to get going? Sure. So does Cade

  • If he can score in the post vs Anunoby he is going to be able to against just about anyone in this league

    • Next time he gives him the bump but Anunoby recovers to block the mid range

  • Jumper is flat, missing short, has to get the follow through UP

    • Something we have consistently seen with his jump shot

    • Adjusts and misses the next one off the back rim…similar to Beasley, I think this is a positive adjustment and he will make the next one

  • Great transition block on Bridges….can this get the team going???

    • Doesn’t look like it

    • Has another one early in the 3rd quarter off a BLOB

  • TAKES A CHARGE ON KAT

  • HOW GOOD HAS HIS DEFENSE BEEN SO FAR IN THIS GAME!!!

    • ANOTHER transition block on Brunson

  • Just a sick drive and finish midway through the 3rd quarter

    • Has Bridges, who he knows he can attack, and an awesome secondary defender navigation of Anunoby along with taking the KAT contest

  • THE LEFT HAND POSTER!!!!!

    • Shoutout Beasley for the big time screen on this play, so important for whoever Brunson is guarding to be a good screen setter

  • Anunoby overplays their favorite action, Cade attacks the aggressiveness and finishes with his left

    • This is EXACTLY what he has to do if Anunoby is going to continue to overplay these actions

• BEASLEY CONTINUES TO MISS SHORT

  • He has to adjust

  • Gets a layup early in the 2nd quarter, can this get him going???

    • Nope, misses back to back 3PAs short right after this

  • Finally misses one that just rattles out but was much more on target….think his next one will go

    • Nope, airballs (short, of course)

    • BUT hits his next one off a Reed OREB and Cade drive and kick

  • THIS MIGHT HAVE GOT HIM GOING….

    • Next attempt his the shot fake and one side dribble variety, made

    • Next attempt is SLOB ATO, made

• REED continues to bring energy and impact but he’s just too small for Robinson on the DREBs

  • Just getting destroyed and not getting help from his teammates

  • OREB that leads to Beasley 3PM and then block on Anunoby on ensuing defensive possession

  • GET A HAND UP ON KAT!!!!

• HOLLAND not even looking to score on back to back drives and the second one results in a TO

  • He also has to really work on the travel on the catch this offseason

  • His offensive process is ROUGH right now

  • Blows TWO weakside box outs on the same possession that eventually results in a Cade foul AND Anunoby to the FT line

  • You obviously get him a 2nd half rotation to see how he responds BUT I would have a QUICK sub if he looks the same he did in this stretch

    • JB disagrees, does not play again in the game

• SCHRODER!!!

  • Offensive and defensive impact

  • How about the defensive disruption

    • Brunson steal, steal end of the 3rd quarter, takes transition charge early 4th quarter

  • Makes it really difficult on Brunson but he just doesn’t have the length

  • Clutch buckets continue

Knicks

• Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby, KAT

  • They got to a designed KAT post up to start the game to continue what we saw in Game 3

    • Seems like they have forgotten about him in the 4th quarter since Brunson returned

    • Might not matter since Brunson is making shots but it is noteworthy

  • They are ACTIVE on the OREBs

  • They are so LOCKED IN on Detroit designed actions

    • ATO, frequent sets, BLOB

    • Detroit is now breaking the action and just being basketball players using that against the Knicks

  • They aren’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard here midway through the 2nd quarter BUT I do think their shot diet is much better than the Pistons

• KAT solid defense continues with an early rotation block on Harris

  • Leads directly to Anunoby transition poster dunk

  • He’s just able to “bully” Harris from about 18 feet down to the block and score over him

  • Next time he draws the double and gets assist on Harris 3PM

  • His offensive process to start this game has been really good

  • His off the dribble game has been pretty impressive throughout the series

  • He does get in foul trouble

  • CLUTCH BUCKETS

• HART with an awesome hustle play early in the game on a Duren OREB that he rips away

  • Leads to transition attempt that he misses

  • Nails a top of the key 3PA off a KAT double team

    • Knocks down a second one in the 1st quarter

  • MOMENTUM CHANGING PLAYS

    • Misses his previous two 3PAs and then hits his next one when Detroit has ALL OF THE MOMENTUM

• BRIDGES is elite cutting off the ball into the mid range for the C&S

  • Has made some really nice defensive plays in the 1st half

  • Man, his relocation is unreal

    • Showcased when they need here in the 4th after Detroit takes an 11 point lead (Cade actually plays it decent off the ball)

  • HUGE back to back 3PMs from the same corner and high level of difficulty with movement and contests

  • Will admit that he has had some nice defensive possessions vs Cade with Anunoby resting (even with what I mention below)

    • Even forces a TO

• BRUNSON immediately attacks Beasley subbing in for Ausar

  • He sees Beasley and just goes at him

  • Happens again in the 3rd quarter

    • It’s like when Cade sees Bridges instead of Anunoby, there is a level of confidence and comfortability that is just different and puts them immediately into attack to score mode

  • Back to back buckets after returning to the game

    • Ausar is in but these have been on Schroder and THJ, respectively

  • Been incredible since coming back in the 4th

    • Wow, insanely difficult shot making

• ROBINSON OREBs

  • Rinse and repeat

  • But neither OREB has been fruitful as he misses FTs and then has a TO

  • Hack a Robinson forces him to get subbed out

• ANUNOBY defense is so impressive

  • He’s been the best two way player in the series

  • 2nd half hasn’t been as good so far

• MCBRIDE with back to back really bad plays off the ball vs Beasley that leads directly to 5 points