Detroit – Paul Reed saw a different team from Knicks in game 3.
Hard, more committed from the beginning, better at the defensive end.
“Defensively, I mean, the last game were much more physical than before,” said the Pistons support center on Saturday, on the eve of a crucial 4 game at Little Caesars Arena. “I feel that helps you with your defense. We have to counteract that.”
It was talked long after the first two games of the Knicks were soft.
They do not coincide with the intensity, approach and physical of the Pistons after they were mostly overcome in the first two competitions of this best playoff series of opening round in the garden.
They responded, starting quickly for the first time in the series and leading almost all the way.
Game 3 was irritable, and the Knicks did not go back.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson evaluated technical offenses in the first half after entering a match with Reed, who also evaluated a technical foul.
“Just as they hold, push, make us work for each place, every centimeter,” Reed said. “We are trying to catch the ball in the elbow, they are pushing us. I am attacking the [glass] They are holding me. I really can’t let go. “
Detroit hit the Knicks in the glass in game 2, winning the battle of the boards by 14.
I was closer to game 3, the Pistons only Plus Four.
The Knicks were further next to the first half, when they established the tone and led by 13.
“Yes, I think it’s important,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “I think that a great part of winning is your defense, your rebound and maintaining your low losses. That puts you in a position to win. So we always talk about the work, you must be the strongest.
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“You have to finish strong, so everything ends. So you challenge the shots, then you have to recover. It requires that you make a second, third and fourth effort.”
Josh Hart felt it was a step in the right direction, but there was even more to do in terms of rebounds.
There was nothing to celebrate.
“The gap was stricter. It was better,” he said. “But we stop. So we have to make sure we have a good emhasis in the glass.”
