RotoWire — Juan Pablo Aravena

Pistons GT and Knicks Gaming played an exciting three-game series Thursday to determine which team will move to the next round of THE TICKET, powered by AT&T and, at times, the Pistons seemed to accomplish that goal. However, they wasted too many chances and allowed the Knicks to come from behind in the decisive Game 3. As a result, the Knicks have moved into the next stage of the tournament.
The Pistons looked downright dominant in Game 1, and they quickly established the lead following a 23-14 first quarter. The Knicks didn’t seem to get in sync on either end of the court, and Pistons GT took full advantage of that, winning both the second and third quarters while establishing an 11-point lead ahead of the final quarter. The Knicks won the final frame by two points, but it was too late for them to make a comeback and lost 77-68.

Ramo was the best player for the Pistons in Game 1, as he finished with 35 points and seven assists, while Charger x 704 did a good job of filling out the stat sheet and finished with 13 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and three blocks. Duck (25 points, six assists) and CantGuardRob paced the Knicks (17 points, 14 boards) paced the Knicks, but their efforts were not enough.
Things would change in Game 2, however, as the first quarter saw Pistons GT go up by one point before the Knicks exploded offensively. They scored 28 points to establish an 11-point advantage heading into halftime, and they would never relinquish that lead the rest of the way. The Pistons were unable to adjust and in the end, the Knicks cruised their way to a comfortable 79-68 victory, setting up the stage for a decisive Game 3.

Ramo and LyKaPRO both scored 19 points for Pistons GT, although Ramo had the same number of assists and turnovers, with seven each. Ultimately, that disrupted the follow of the offense. As for the Knicks, Duck distributed the ball well and finished with 12 assists alongside 23 points, while CantGuardRob posted a 22-point, nine-rebound performance. In fact, four of the five Knicks starters scored at least 15 points, with the lone exception being HazzaUK, who had just three points, three assists and three rebounds.

The Pistons came out firing in Game 3 and jumped out to a 22-16 lead, and it seemed as if they would be able to hold on to that advantage since they were up by six points at the break. The Knicks came from behind, however, and responded with a 19-13 third quarter that evened things up at 48-48 heading into the final six minutes of action. The Knicks would execute better down the stretch, and their timely defense allowed them to secure a 67-63 victory that ticketed their berth into the next stage of THE TICKET powered by AT&T.

Duck delivered another double-double for the Knicks in Game 3, as he ended with 24 points and 10 assists, while OriginalMalik boosted the offense with a 27-point effort and CantGuardRob chipped in with another double-double of 10 points and 11 boards. Ramo had 33 points and eight assists for the Pistons but his efforts were not enough. Charger x 704 contributed 10 points, 14 rebounds and five dimes to the losing cause.

The Knicks will now face Grizz Gaming, who swept Lakers Gaming by a 2-0 score Thursday evening.