Thursday night was a rough outing for the New York Knicks, as they took a 126-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. This marks their third double-digit defeat to the top-seeded Pistons this season.
The Knicks' struggles against Detroit have left fans, including ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, questioning their championship prospects.
But Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, who contributed six points, five assists, four rebounds, and a steal in 21 minutes, is urging fans to keep the faith. He emphasized that the playoffs are "a whole different ballgame."
Reflecting on last season, Knicks fans have seen this team overcome regular season woes. When asked by SNY's Ian Begley about the team's playoff potential against Detroit, Alvarado confidently replied, "hell yeah," and shared insights into the team's mindset as they approach the postseason.
"We're not going to sit here and say just because they beat us in the regular season, we can't [win in the postseason]. We're not thinking like that...
When it counts, that's when it matters. We're going to play like that," Alvarado asserted.
The reaction from Knicks fans following the loss to a Pistons team missing key players like Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart is understandable but perhaps a bit premature. Sure, it's not ideal to lose by 15 points to a short-handed squad, but let's not forget last year's narrative. The Knicks went 0-4 against the reigning champion Boston Celtics in the regular season, only to eliminate them with a gentleman's sweep in the playoffs.
The regular season is crucial, no doubt, but as Alvarado pointed out, the postseason is "when it counts." With 26 games left and a seven-game gap behind the Pistons, the Knicks face an uphill battle to snag the top seed. However, this stretch is an opportunity to refine their game and build momentum for a potential playoff showdown with Detroit.
The Knicks didn't fold after a tough regular season against the Celtics last year. There's no reason to expect anything less from them in the 2025-26 campaign.