Upstart Pistons not intimidated by Knicks: We want to go win this first round.

The Pistons have won two of their past seven games.They’ve gone 12-26 against teams with a winning record.And they are on top of the world entering their first-round matchup with the Knicks.

After posting a league-worst 14 wins last season, Detroit soon will make its first playoff appearance in six years, looking for its first playoff game victory since 2008.“It is special for us,” Pistons star Cade Cunningham told reporters after Friday’s game.“We’re super happy for the city and the fan base.

[But] we’re not satisfied at all.[We’re] still hungry.

We want to go win this first round.“The chip that last year put on our shoulders, I think everybody understands that and wanted to come in and make a change.”Though Detroit went 3-1 against the Knicks this season, one Pistons victory came without Karl-Anthony Towns playing, while Thursday’s matchup came without OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson in action.Even the Pistons aren’t putting too much stock into those results.“The regular season is the regular season,” said Malik Beasley.“Everything is different in the playoffs.

We feel confident, but at the same time, they’re a great team, so we need to play our basketball … grit-and-grind basketball.We do that, I like our matchup against any team.”The Knicks have seen what life is like without Jalen Brunson.

Now, they’re waiting to feel the impact of having their captain back.Despite Brunson’s return last week from a sprained ankle that sidelined him for 15 games, the Knicks have dropped three of four games since reinserting their All-NBA guard into the lineup.The Clutch Player of the Year candidate has alternated two sharp, 27-point showings with a pair of inefficient 15-point efforts.In his four games back from a month-long absence, Brunson is averaging 21 points and 5.8 assists, while shooting 43.5 percent from the field.

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