Thibodeau Says It 'Doesn't Mean Anything' Knicks Are Odds-On Favorite vs. Pistons

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't want his players to "get drunk with emotion or with praise" ahead of their NBA playoff series against the Detroit Pistons.

The third-seeded Knicks are the heavy favorites in the first-round. Thibodeau said that "doesn't mean anything" in actually deciding the series.

New York finished seven games better than Detroit in the standings, and it has a clear edge in experience over a young Pistons squad that's untested together in the postseason.

The last time the franchise made it this far, it was leaning on Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.

But Detroit went 3-1 against the Knicks in the regular season, most recently earning a 115-106 win at home on April 10. Cade Cunningham put up 36 points and eight assists in the victory, while Jalen Duren had a double-double (18 points and 13 rebounds).

In general, the NBA's quest for more parity is achieving its aim. Beyond the fact a repeat champion hasn't happened since 2018, the last two playoffs produced some surprising upsets.

The eighth-seeded Miami Heat took down the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round en route to the NBA Finals, while the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers got to the Western Conference Finals. Last year saw the Indiana Pacers, the No. 6 seed, knock off the Bucks and then outlast the Knicks in seven games to make an underdog run to the conference finals.

New York ranked 18th in net rating (plus-0.3) after the All-Star break, per NBA.com, and not all of that was down to Jalen Brunson's ankle sprain. The Knicks can't afford to lose focus in the opening round or this will be a brief playoff stay.