NEW YORK (AP) Luke Kennard scored 27 points, Reggie Jackson had 21 and Andre Drummond added 20 points and 18 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons locked up the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot with a 115-89 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
The Pistons will face the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round.
Jackson scored 14 points and Drummond had 10 points and seven rebounds in the first quarter as the Pistons never trailed and led by as many as 16 points. Neither Jackson nor Drummond played in the fourth quarter.
Wayne Ellington added 12 points for the Pistons, who hadn't made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, the last time they finished over .500 (44-38). Before, Detroit hadn't made the postseason since 2008-09.
John Jenkins led the Knicks with 16 points, and Kadeem Allen added 13. Henry Ellenson scored 12 points, and Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hicks each had 11.
Detroit extended its lead to 27 points twice in the second quarter and led 65-41 at halftime. The Pistons went up by as many as 36 points and led 92-59 after the third quarter. >> Read More
Highlights
.@23savage____ ending the season with 🔨 after 🔨 pic.twitter.com/xtpVZyerEP
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 11, 2019
.@wholeteamDot shakin, @bigshin32 bakin' pic.twitter.com/qbzFmWstYM
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 11, 2019
Ball movement 👌 pic.twitter.com/vMy4eICFhy
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 11, 2019
What's next
The Knicks look ahead to the NBA Draft lottery where they hope to land the No. 1 overall pick for the June NBA Draft. Oh, and they have two max slots to fill in free agency as well. It will be a busy summer for the Knicks' front office.