Thursday night, the New York Knicks fell to the sub-full-strength Detroit Pistons out at Madison Square Garden by a final score of 126-111.
It was their third double-digit loss to the one seeds in as many games.
Following this latest drubbing, many fans, such as ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, have grown rather wary of New York's chances of contending for an NBA Championship this season, what with their continued struggles against Detroit.
However, directly following the contest, Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (who recorded six points, five assists, four rebounds, and a steal in 21 minutes played) reminded the franchise's faithful followers that the playoffs are "a whole different ballgame."
Fans have already seen Knicks overcome regular season struggles in 2025
Asked by SNY's Ian Begley if he believes this Knicks team is capable of wiping the slate clean come playoff time, assuming they run into Detroit, the beloved trade deadline acquisition quickly responded with a resounding "hell yeah," and shared a bit of insight into the club's mentality heading toward the postseason.
"We're not going to sit here and say just because they beat us in the regular season, we can't [win in the postseason]. We're not thinking like that... When it counts, that's when it matters. We're going to play like that," Alvarado said.
Frankly, this doom and gloom reaction from Knicks fans in the wake of Detroit's blowout is incredibly surprising.
Yes, it's certainly unfortunate that a Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart-less Pistons team still was able to best a fully healthy New York squad by 15 points. And, yes, it's far from ideal that they've lost every matchup they've played against one another this season.
However, just last year, fans witnessed this same Knicks team go 0-4 against the battle-tested reigning champion Boston Celtics in the regular season (all but one saw a final score within a 13-point margin), only to then find them handily eliminating them from the second round of the playoffs via a gentleman's sweep.
Now, granted, the regular season is without question an important phase of a campaign, but, as Alvarado acknowledged, the postseason is "when it counts."
With 26 games remaining on the docket and considering they're seven games behind the Pistons in the standings, it seems the odds are stacked against Jalen Brunson and company to usurp Detroit and claim the top seed in the standings for themselves before the playoffs.
However, this final stretch of the campaign could be used to help them continue honing their craft and strengthening their on-court play for if/ when they square off against Detroit in the playoffs.
The Knicks didn't bow out after their disastrous regular season series against the Celtics last year. Why should fans expect to see anything different from them here in 2025-26?