Higher Seeds New York, Denver Fall in Playoffs Second Games to Detroit Pistons, LA Clippers
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 22 Apr 2025
We can now dismiss the form charts as sixth seeds Detroit Pistons in the East and Los Angeles Clippers in the West pulled off close wins over the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, both 3rd seeds, tying their respective first-round playoff series early today.
Detroit outlasted New York, 100-94, at Madison Square Garden, earning their first playoff win since returning to the postseason in 2018.
If the game were a boxing match, it would be like the classic Holmes vs. Norton heavyweight title match in 1978, where Holmes only clinched the victory after briefly stunning Norton with a 1-2 combination from which Norton failed to counter as time expired.
The Knicks, after trailing for most of the game, had pulled even at 94-all on a Josh Hart dunk.
But moments later, with less than a minute left, Dennis Schroder scored on a three-pointer from 25 feet out to deliver the first stunner, 97-94.
After the Knicks failed on the succeeding play, Schroder delivered the final stunner with a free throw to put the game on ice, 98-94.
Two more free throws by center Jalen Duren only served as icing on the cake for the final count, 100-94, as the Knicks saw the late-game heroics of star guard Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Hart go to waste.
Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham, who had carried much of the scoring for Detroit, could only watch in relief and jubilation as Schroder and Duren secured the win for the Pistons after New York went on a 21-0 run in the last quarter for a heartbreaking 123-112 Knicks come-from-behind victory last Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
Cunningham scored 33 points plus 12 rebounds for Detroit.
The series shifts to Detroit on Thursday (Friday in Manila), where Cunningham hopes the Pistons hold their home court for the opportunity to advance further in the playoffs in the East.
Meanwhile, at Ball Arena in Denver, Kawhi Leonard showed his old championship form as he scored 39 points in powering the Los Angeles Clippers to a close 105-102 win over the Nuggets.
The Clippers also came from behind after a 100-98 loss the other day to the Nuggets.
The Clippers-Nuggets game, like Sunday's (Manila time), bore the makings of a heavyweight slugging match as Leonard was pitted against the also high-scoring Jamal Murray, while the mastodonic Ivica Zubac and Nikola Jokic went head-to-head against each other in the slot. Likewise, high-octane guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook had their own one-upmanship in scoring and spreading the floor.
This time, Leonard did not let anybody else decide the game for the Clippers as he banged in the baskets that provided the difference with time winding down.
Leonard poured in 39 points for the night as he hardly missed a shot. Harden backed him up with 18 points. Zubac had 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Norman Powell provided his usual contribution with 12 points.
Jokic and Murray led the Nuggets with 26 points and 23 points, respectively. Jokic also pulled down 12 rebounds. Michael Porter Jr., who was a non-factor yesterday, showed up with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Westbrook and Aaron Gordon added 14 points each.
The exciting series goes to Los Angeles for the next two games.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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