Will the Brunson Burner ever run out of steam? It seems like the sprain Jalen Brunson endured in March didn’t hinder his quality one bit. And that was highlighted by his 34/2/8 statline that helped the Knicks bulldoze through an aimless Pistons 123-112 in game 1 of the playoffs first round. What’s better is that their home court advantage kicks in, and they’ll have the support of the MSG for game 2 as well.

But it’s more satisfying to see Karl-Anthony Towns step up in Brunson’s absence. Double-double after double-double, the 7-footer is now a huge part of Thibs’ offensive spearhead. They’ll need the same output from both to be heading to the Little Caesars Arena with a 2-0 lead. Let’s see who the Knicks’ HC will have available for deployment for the all-important game 2 tonight.

Knicks injury report ahead of Pistons clash

The whole of NY was left in tatters when Brunson was seen dashing into the locker room in the third quarter in that first game. It was such a scary sight for Thibs- maybe a bit of a deja vu for their fans too. And then, with 9 minutes left in the game, Brunson returned with a bang. He scored 12 of his game-high 34 points in the fourth quarter, during which the Knicks unleashed a 21-0 run to erase an eight-point deficit and win it for the MSG.

That moment had the potential to be disastrous for the Knicks, but Brunson’s quick return was a relief for everyone at MSG. “We were not going to just lay down and not fight,” Brunson said. “We were going to figure out ways to keep battling. It turned rather quickly.” And despite the potential concern, he’s fit to play in game 2 tonight.

Now, onto KAT. He’s quietly been having an MVP-esque season- averaging 24.4/12.8/3.1, shooting 52.6% from the field and a ridiculous 42% from the 3PT line. Ever thought he’d struggle to fit after switching teams 10 years into his career? Well, think again. But what’s delightful to see is him bringing that form into the playoffs, too. He and Brunson turned up massively, with the former boasting a 23/5/11 double-double in that first game. But will he play tonight? Absolutely. The Dominican center is fit to play as well.

Ideally, Mikal Bridges joins the KAT-Brunson party when the Knicks win. But the first game was a bit of a downer by his standards. You’d think there was an injury, but it was just one of those days for him. He could only muster up an 8/2/2 showing while going 0-for-2 from the 3-PT line. From a Knicks’ perspective, it’s good to see the rest of the squad turning up when an offensive starlet doesn’t turn up. But for Mikal, game 2 is a shot at redemption. He’s fit to play, too.

Knicks predicted lineup against Pistons

Detroit center Isaiah Stewart has been put on a day-to-day basis due to right knee inflammation. This is big. The Knicks’ trio of Bridges-KAT-Jalen Brunson can run riot if Stewart doesn’t end up playing and if J.B. Bickerstaff doesn’t find a solution. With all 15 of the Knicks’ players cleared for contention, this is the NY’s expected lineup:

So, the scene is set. Tom Thibodeau could field an unchanged lineup against a weakened Pistons with Stewart’s unpredictable situation. There’re no excuses- the only acceptable outcome from a NY perspective is taking a 2-0 lead into the Little Caesar Center in Detroit. They better hope the Pistons fire blanks like they did in the first game.