Although the full first-round schedule for the 2025 NBA Playoffs has yet to be finalized, the league has announced key information regarding the Detroit Pistons’ opening series against the New York Knicks.
The No. 6 seed Pistons will kick off their postseason on the road, taking on the No. 3 seed Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April 19 at 6 p.m. ET. Game 1 of this Eastern Conference matchup will be broadcast on ESPN.
Detroit will remain in New York for Game 2 before returning home to host Games 3 and 4 at Little Caesars Arena. If the series extends beyond four games, the remaining matchups will alternate between cities: Game 5 in New York, Game 6 in Detroit, and a potential Game 7 back in New York.
This marks the first time the Pistons and Knicks have met in the playoffs since 1992. That previous first-round battle ended in a 3-2 series win for the Knicks under the old best-of-five format.
While playoff outcomes can differ from the regular season, the Pistons have had the upper hand in head-to-head play this year, winning three of their four matchups against New York. Most recently, Detroit claimed a 115-106 victory last Thursday at home, led by Cade Cunningham’s explosive 36-point performance — a game that had all the makings of a playoff preview.
Game 1 between the Pistons and Knicks will be the third matchup in ESPN’s playoff tripleheader. The day tips off with the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks facing the No. 4 Indiana Pacers, followed by a Western Conference clash between the No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers and No. 4 Denver Nuggets. Later that evening, ABC will air a prime-time Western Conference battle between the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves and No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers.
No further dates or tip-off times for the Pistons-Knicks series have been released.
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