Jose Alvarado, the Knicks' recent trade acquisition, downplayed the team's struggles against Detroit, which lost all three regular-season matchups by significant margins (15, 31, and 28 points). 'Playoffs is a whole different ball game,' Alvarado told reporters. 'When it counts, that's when it matters.'
This approach echoes the Knicks' performance last season, when they were swept by Boston and Cleveland in the regular season but defeated Boston in the playoffs. However, those results came under former coach Tom Thibodeau, and new coach Mike Brown will need to ensure his team can elevate its performance in the postseason.