New York beating Detroit had become something of an NBA certainty, with the Knicks doing it 16 straight times over a span of five years.

The Pistons are in the postseason for the first time in five years, while the Knicks will test whether their all-in now trades pay off.

It’s 2025, when NBA coaches get creative with who guards whom throughout playoff series. But these two coaches, the Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau and the Pistons’ J.B. Bickerstaff, don’t go out of their way to crossmatch.