Josh Hart pointed to the defensive stops while Karl-Anthony Towns emphasized "execution and staying together," in the Knicks' series-opening win over Detroit. Hart said both teams know each other pretty well and it's going to be close series.

Several Knicks — but especially Hart, Towns, Thibodeau and Jalen Brunson — spent a solid portion of the Game 2 evening in animated verbal protest of the officiating, a tactic that never results in changing a call but can redirect a players’ focus from winning games.