The Detroit Pistons entered their playoff series against the New York Knicks with a clear advantage in bench scoring and depth.
It came into play on Monday in their 100-94 Game 2 victory at Madison Square Garden.
The Pistons’ second unit outscored New York’s 35-8 and nobody was more clutch off the bench than Dennis Schroder. The 12-year veteran guard acquired at the trade deadline from Golden State hit a 3-pointer with 56 seconds remaining to snap a 94-94 tie. He then made 1-of-2 free throws with eight seconds left to give Detroit a four-point lead.
Schroder finished with 20 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, when he logged 11 of his 29 minutes.
“He’s played in so many big games and when you go back and watch his history, he’s clutch in big games,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said in his postgame address to the media. “We’ve talked about it early on when he got here – he’s just fearless. There’s no moment, there’s no crowd, there’s no noise that’s too big or that’s going to rattle him.
“He works his tail off on his game. But a lot of people in that situation don’t have the courage and he’s got the courage to take big shots and make them.”
Schroder has averaged nearly 12 points in 70 career playoff games.
The Pistons needed Schroder’s contribution on a night when Malik Beasley, a finalist for NBA Sixth Man of the Year, struggled, scoring only nine points and missing 7-of-8 3-point attempts in 30 minutes.
With Isaiah Stewart out due to right knee inflammation, the Pistons turned to Paul Reed for a defensive presence. He also contributed offensively by making 3-of-4 shots for six points in the second half.
“Paul Reed was awesome. You have to give Paul Reed credit,” Bickerstaff said. “A guy who hasn’t played a ton, hasn’t been in a lineup consistently, but I think he came in and did a great job for us, gave us a great spark.”
Reed didn’t play in Game 1 but came to the Pistons with 32 games of playoff experience the past four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“My mentality never changes,” Reed told FanDuel Sports Network. “I know at any point that one of these guys can foul out, go down, get hurt. So, I know I got to stay ready every game, and that’s what I’ve been doing, just staying ready.”
