DETROIT – The New York Knicks are resting their core players ahead of a potential playoff matchup against the Detroit Pistons inside Little Caesars Arena.
Knickerbockers head coach Tom Thibodeau seems to be playing chess while the “rest” of the National Basketball Association is playing checkers as he has ruled out three key players for Thursday’s (April 10) matchup.
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According to the Knicks’ injury report, center Mitchell Robinson, small forward OG Anunoby, and shooting guard Josh Hart have all been ruled out.
Robinson is dealing with an ankle injury, while Anunoby is dealing with a thumb injury, and Hart is out with a knee injury.
With that, fans can expect to see limited minutes from All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, who is returning from an ankle injury that caused him to miss a month of action before his return on April 6, 2025, against the Phoenix Suns at home inside Madison Square Garden.
Brunson will suit up, as he has only played in 63 games this season. With three games remaining, including the Pistons’ matchup on April 10, 2025.
He needs to play in two more games to reach the 65-game threshold to be eligible for All-NBA.
With that in mind, the Knicks could be playing coy as they sit in the No. 3 seed. They don’t want to expose their strategy ahead of the playoffs.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his Pistons, who have lost four of their previous five games, currently sit in the No. 6 seed.
This sets up a potential first-round playoff matchup with the up-and-coming Pistons, who are making their first playoff appearance since the 2018-19 season.
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Speaking of injuries, the Pistons announced on Thursday that point guard Jaden Ivey, who has been out since Jan. 1, 2025, when he broke his left fibula, has been cleared for basketball activity and will now enter the beginning phase of a reconditioning progression.
It was reported that small forward Tobias Harris would be out for tonight’s game as he was dealing with a heel injury, but he made his return during the matchup.
With that in mind, both teams are potentially playing for seeding. The Pistons are looking to secure the No. 5 seed, which they trail the Milwaukee Bucks (Five-game winning streak) by two games.
With a win on Thursday, the Pistons and Bucks will end the regular season playing each other in a home-and-home matchup for potential seeding implications.
The Knicks (50-29) are two games up on the Indiana Pacers, who, like the Bucks (45-34), are on a five-game winning streak.
They will face the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (who have secured the No. 1 seed and will be resting players ahead of the playoffs) twice and the Orlando Magic to end the regular season.
Look for the Pistons and the Knicks to tip off Thursday at 7 p.m.
