RotoWire – Jeff Edgerton

Knicks Gaming and Pistons GT squared off in the play-in round of THE TURN, powered by AT&T. The winner of this matchup would meet Kings Guard Gaming on Thursday. In the end, it was the Knicks who took this series, exploiting the Pistons in two straight games to win the series, 2-1.

The Pistons began the game with a slightly different lineup, employing Demon JT at the wing and installing LYKaPRO at point guard. The change appeared to reap some benefit, as the squad jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, spearheaded by a brief Glass Cleaner takeover by Ramo. Behind a great six minutes from their center and four assists from LYKaPRO, the Pistons held a convincing 19-8 lead going into the second quarter. Just as the second frame began, technical difficulties prevented the game from continuing. After a 15-minute delay, the game restarted and the new game finish would be in the final minute of the third quarter. Duck helped his team out early in the second frame with a sweet coast-to-coast layup, and it was evident that the Pistons defensive play inside was not up to snuff after the restart. Fortunately for the Pistons, neither team was distinguishing themselves as an outside threat so the game remained relatively tight. Although the Knicks managed to close the gap, the Pistons held a sizeable lead heading into the adjusted halftime.

The Pistons led by 11 before the interruption and after the restart, and it was all the Knicks could do to just keep pace. Despite Duck’s excellent play at the point, they were unable to gain any ground. Costly errors continued to plague the Knicks as their turnover count continued to rise.

Based on the adjusted score, the Pistons took a 19-point lead heading into the final quarter, and they were well-positioned to take a 1-0 series lead. The Knicks faded significantly in the final quarter as the Pistons dominated them in every aspect of the game, and Game 1 resulted in a 79-50 blowout in favor of the Pistons. Joseph led all scorers with 30 points and six steals, and LYKaPRO netted 20 points and 10 assists in his new role. Ramo had a superb Game 1 with a 18/15/10 triple-double.

After another brief delay due to technical problems, both teams looked much-improved as they began Game 2, with the Knicks enjoying better results in their shooting and defensive play. After a three-second penalty by the Pistons, the Knicks played for the last shot of the quarter and sunk it, giving them an 18-16 lead, their first lead of the series. The Pistons were ice-cold to begin the second quarter, and the Knicks enjoyed a 9-2 run to begin the frame. Both teams were pretty clumsy with the ball, racking up a total of 16 turnovers in the first half. CantGuardRob and OriginalMalik excelled for the Knicks in the first half, with both players tallying 11 points in the first twelve minutes.

The Knicks held on to that lead throughout the third quarter, as the Pistons continued to have trouble converting shots. The Knicks also played exemplary defense and took advantage of any poor ball-handling that the Pistons committed. With the Knicks sensing a victory, they felt confident enough to make full use of the 24-second clock to chew time. Still, they made enough mistakes to keep the Pistons involved, especially inside where Ramo and company continued to find lanes to the basket. A flurry at the end of the quarter closed the gap for the Pistons, and the Knicks held on to a slim 53-48 going into the final frame. Duck and the Knicks continued to hold off the Pistons, but they couldn’t put them away altogether. In an intriguing meltdown by the Pistons, the Knicks won 68-60 and forced a Game 3. CantGuardRob led the Knicks with a sizzling nine-of-11 from the field on the way to 20 points. Duck also recorded a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win.

The third game started messily, as neither team scored a basket in the first minute and a half of play. Both sides were also playing at a syrupy-slow pace, unlike the first two games of the series. Thanks to an excellent quarter of shooting from CantGuardRob, the Knicks finished the quarter with a 17-15 lead. Although the slow pace of play continued, the two teams were evenly matched in the second quarter, with neither team moving the momentum needle their way. As the half came to a close, the Knicks were able to grind out a 33-25 lead thanks to great defense and solid interior play. The Knicks continued to extend their lead to 13 in the third quarter, as the Pistons continued to have trouble finding a basket. Every time an easy shot appeared, the Knicks would be there to contest, and shots inside were often swatted right back. Duck and CantGuardRob continued to drain balls and put the game out of reach by the middle of the final frame, and the Knicks ultimately advance with a 70-56 Game 3 victory and a 2-1 series win. Even though the Knicks turned over the ball 16 times to the Pistons’ 12 cough-ups, they were bolstered by shooting 71 percent from the floor and 75 percent from beyond the arc. OriginalMalik led the Knicks with 27 points.

Knicks Gaming will advance to face Kings Guard Gaming on Thursday. Pistons GT will return to regular season play next week.