Jose Alvarado, Knicks
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Jose Alvarado #5 of the New York Knicks gestures against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on February 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The New York Knicks returned from the All-Star break with genuine momentum. They’d won 10 of their last 12 games heading into Thursday night and sat third in the Eastern Conference.
The Detroit Pistons had different plans. Cade Cunningham delivered one of the season’s best performances, finishing with 42 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds as Detroit won 126-111 at Madison Square Garden. The Pistons completed a three-game season sweep of New York, winning all three meetings by a combined 84 points.
After the final buzzer, three Knicks addressed the sweep. What they said revealed how this team is choosing to process a difficult stretch against a dangerous conference rival.
Alvarado’s Message After the Loss
Jose Alvarado didn’t hesitate when asked about the season sweep. His response was clear.
“Playoffs is a whole different ballgame,” Alvarado said. “We’re not going to sit here and say, ‘oh, they beat us in the regular season.’ We’re not thinking like that.”
The conviction behind it stood out. Detroit beat New York three times this season without ever being at full strength, and Alvarado walked out of MSG Thursday night sounding like someone who’d already moved on. That’s either genuine belief or the mental discipline championship contenders require. Possibly both.
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Jose Alvarado doesn’t believe that the Knicks’ lack of success against the Pistons would have any impact in the playoffs:
“Playoffs is a whole different ballgame. We’re not going to sit here and say, ‘oh, they beat us in the regular season…’ We’re not thinking like that.”
Brunson and Towns Respond to Loss
Jalen Brunson kept it simple. When asked about the Pistons’ dominance this season and what it might mean for the playoffs, his answer was short.
“It’s a new year.”
Brunson finished with 33 points and eight assists Thursday night, carrying New York offensively through a game they never quite controlled.
Karl-Anthony Towns offered a more measured take. He acknowledged what the regular season results mean for Detroit while framing it as a challenge rather than a verdict.
“It builds a confidence going into a series,” Towns said. “You also have great film to see what did work.”
Towns isn’t dismissing what the Pistons have done. He’s acknowledging that Detroit now has something real to draw from, which makes New York’s job harder if these teams meet in the playoffs.
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GettyKarl Anthony-Towns and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
What the Sweep Represents for the Knicks
Context matters here. Detroit has now won three against the Knicks this season, sweeping the series. Thursday’s game was the most competitive of the three and New York still lost by 15.
Cunningham has been the difference every time. The Knicks had no answer for him in any of the three meetings.
New York shot just 23 percent from three-point range, converting 8 of 35 from deep. Those numbers need to improve if this team wants a different result in a potential playoff matchup.
Detroit sits first in the East at 41-13. The Knicks are third at 35-21. There’s every chance the teams could meet in the playoffs. The Pistons have spent this entire regular season building a case they’re ready for that moment.
Final Word for the Knicks
Alvarado is right that the playoffs are a different game. History supports that. Regular season sweeps don’t determine postseason outcomes, and the Knicks are too talented and too experienced to be written off based on three games in February.
But Towns is also right that the film exists. Detroit knows what works against New York. They’ve spent three games learning exactly how to attack this team, and Cunningham has looked comfortable doing it every single time.
The Knicks believe they’ll be different in May. They have to. Three months from now, they might get the chance to prove it.