A packed Sunday of NBA playoff action tips off at 1 p.m. ET in Detroit, where the Pistons (6) host the Knicks (3) in a must-see matchup.
Games 2 and 3 of this series were decided by a total of eight points, and Game 4 is also expected to be tight. The Pistons took Game 2, 100-94, in NY. The Knicks bounced back with a 118-116 road win on Thursday night.
One of the biggest storylines on Sunday will be the play of Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT scored 23 points on 14 FGA in his team’s Game 1 win, but he struggled in the Knicks’ Game 2 loss (and was reduced to a bystander down the stretch, with 0 fourth-quarter FGA), with just 10 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
He bounced back in a huge way in Game 3, though, draining 4-of-8 3-point attempts and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line in a 31-point night. Towns had taken just five 3PA and two FTA in Games 1 and 2 combined.
How effectively the Knicks are able to employ Towns will go a long way in determining not only who wins Game 4, but which of these teams will advance to the next round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Knicks vs. Pistons Game 4 Betting Odds
How to Watch Knicks vs. Pistons Game 4
- Tipoff: 1 p.m. ET
- Channel: ABC
Knicks vs. Pistons Series Winner Odds
- DraftKings: NYK -475; DET +360
- FanDuel: NYK -550; DET +410
Best Knicks vs. Pistons Player Props
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 22.5 Points (-110 at DK, FD) — 1 units
Did we mention we’ll have our eye on Towns in this game?
At this point, we have a substantial sample size of data on Towns vs. the Pistons, and it screams that Game 2 was an outlier.
In six NYK-DET matchups this season (three in the regular season, plus Games 1-3 of this series), Towns has had at least 14 FGA five times, and he averaged 25.2 ppg in those contests.
His prominent role in Game 3 — which was a big reason the Knicks’ offensive rating jumped to 120.8 from 101.9 in Game 2 — showed that coach Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks have learned their lesson about keeping Towns involved in the offense.
While it’s no guarantee that he’ll be as hot from the 3-point line on Sunday as he was last Thursday, he should once again get plenty of clean looks in transition and/or in the pick-and-pop with Jalen Brunson. The eye test shows that Detroit center Jalen Duren struggles to defend Towns around the 3-point line, and NBA.com’s advanced stats back that up.
Through three games in this series, Duren’s assignment (often, but not always Towns) has shot 12-for-27 (44.4 percent) from 20-24 feet and 13-for-36 (36.1 percent) from 25-29 feet. In Game 3 specifically, Towns scored 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting (2-for-4 3PT) when matched up against Duren.
Given the favorable matchup that Towns has against Duren, let’s go with him to not only go over 22.5 points, but also knock down at least three 3-pointers: Towns 3+ Made Threes (+320 at FanDuel) — 0.5 units.
Remember, Towns has cashed this in three of six games vs. the Pistons this year, he’s a 42 percent 3-point shooter on the season and he has had at least six 3PA in 3/6 games vs. Sunday’s opponent.
Knicks vs. Pistons Game 4 Pick, Best Bets
The Pistons struggled to get stops in Game 3, but still managed to keep pace with the hot-shooting Knicks from start to finish.
While Towns and Brunson (33.7 points per game in this series) have both had huge series so far, that 1-2 punch won’t be enough for the Knicks to run away with this series unless they find some answers for Cade Cunningham.
The star Detroit point guard is averaging 26 points and 8.7 assists per game in this matchup. But to even this series, Detroit will need Tim Hardaway Jr. (7-for-12 from outside in Game 3) to stay hot and Malik Beasley (3-for-18 3PT in Games 2 and 3 after a 6-for-12 3PT night in the series opener) to rediscover his touch.
In what should be another dogfight that isn’t decided until the final minutes, give me the Knicks to grind out a road win that moves them one step closer to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Knicks vs. Pistons Game 4 Best Bets:
- Knicks ML (+114 at FanDuel) — 1 unit
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