The crucial Game 3 game between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks took place inside Little Caesars Arena, and despite a fierce battle, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and the team managed to restore home-court advantage in a 118-116 triumph.
With a record of 199-69, the team that prevailed in Game 3 of a best-of-seven series that was knotted at 1-1 has won the series more than 70% of the time in NBA postseason history.
With 31 points from 10/18 from the field and 7/7 from the charity stripe, Towns outscored both teams. In the victory, Mikal Bridges contributed 20 points, Anunoby scored 22, and Brunson scored 30 points.
Cade Cunningham finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for the Pistons, nearly achieving a triple-double.
After hitting 7/12 from beyond the arc, Tim Hardaway Jr. dropped 24 points, ending his scoring drought.
Dennis Schröder contributed 18 points to the loss, while Jalen Duren scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds.
At the start of the game, the Pistons fans was energised, and they were given chills by announcer John Mason’s vintage opening.
Despite their excitement, Detroit was unable to locate a bucket. They fell behind 8-1 after shooting 0–7 from the field. Ausar Thompson’s split at the charity stripe was the source of their lone point.
Mikal Bridges started things off for the Knicks by making a three-pointer to put the team ahead 3-0.
With 9:23 remaining in the first, the Pistons were behind 8-1 and needed an early timeout to regroup. Towns then went on a personal 5-0 run.
Hardaway Jr., a former Michigan Wolverines player, broke the game’s 0–7 start with a wide-open three-pointer.
The boisterous crowd erupted in cries of profanity when Hardaway Jr. made another three-pointer before Jalen Brunson slapped him across the face.
Hardaway Jr. made all three of his free throws, and Brunson was given a flagrant foul one. To get the crowd back into the game, he made another three-pointer after that.
Hardaway Jr. went 3-3 from beyond the arc and made all three of his free throws to lead both teams with 12 points after the team went scoreless in Game 2.
Cunningham and Hardaway Jr. contributed 21 of the team’s 27 points in the first quarter, and Cunningham got things going with nine points.
But with assistance from Brunson (5 points), Josh Hart (4 points), and Bridges (3 points), OG Anunoby (10 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (11 points) scored 21 of the Knicks’ 33 points, giving them a 33-27 advantage at the end of the first quarter.