Knicks starting to match Pistons physicality could be key to series

DETROIT — Paul Reed saw a different Knicks team in Game 3.

Tougher, more engaged from the start, better on the defensive end.

“Defensively, I mean, last game they were a lot more physical than they were before,” the Pistons backup center said on Saturday, on the eve of a crucial Game 4 at Little Caesars Arena. “I feel like that helped them with their defense. We have to counter that.”

There was a lot of talk after the first two games of the Knicks being soft.

Of them not matching the Pistons’ intensity, focus and physicality after they were outplayed for the most part in the first two contests of this best-of-seven, opening-round playoff series at the Garden.

They responded, starting fast for the first time in the series, and leading almost the entire way.

Game 3 was testy, and the Knicks didn’t back down.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson were assessed technical fouls in the first half after getting into a shoving match with Reed, who was also assessed a technical foul.

“Just like holding, pushing, making us work for every spot, every inch,” Reed said. “We’re trying to catch the ball on the elbow, they’re pushing us out. I’m attacking the [glass] they’re holding me. I can’t really get loose.”

Detroit hammered the Knicks on the glass in Game 2, winning the battle of the boards by 14.

It was closer in Game 3, the Pistons only plus-four.

The Knicks were plus-six in the first half, when they set the tone and led by 13.

“Yeah I think it’s important,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think a big part of winning is your defense, your rebounding and keeping your turnovers down. That puts you in position to win. So we always talk about the last part of the play, you have to be the strongest.

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“You have to finish strong, so finish everything. So you challenge shots, then you’ve gotta rebound. It requires you to make a second, third, fourth effort.”

Josh Hart felt it was a step in the right direction, but there was still more to be done in terms of rebounding.

There was nothing to celebrate.

“The gap was tighter. It was better,” he said. “But we still lost. So we gotta make sure we have a good emphasis on the glass.”