(Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

The Detroit Pistons spent the first half of the season establishing themselves as the surprise favorite in the Eastern Conference -- and the biggest roadblock in the New York Knicks' quest to make the NBA Finals for the first time this century.

The Knicks will get one more chance to make a statement against the visiting Pistons on Thursday night when both teams return from the All-Star Break.

Both squads went into the break with road wins on Feb. 11. The Knicks routed the Philadelphia 76ers 138-89 and the Pistons beat the Toronto Raptors 113-95.

The convincing victory in Philadelphia concluded an impressive pre-break recovery for the Knicks, who lost nine of 11 from Dec. 31 through Jan. 19 but have gone 10-2 since. New York will enter Thursday a half-game behind the second-place Boston Celtics and 4 1/2 games clear of the sixth-place 76ers, who occupy the East's final guaranteed playoff spot.

The surge was bookended by the two most lopsided wins in team history. The Knicks beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-66 on Jan. 21.

The red-hot run featured eight double-digit victories, including another two by at least 30 points -- a 127-97 trouncing of the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 30 and a 132-101 rout of the Washington Wizards on Feb. 3.

The Knicks' revival has been keyed by a vastly improved defense. New York allowed fewer than 110 points nine times in the last 12 games after doing so just 11 times in the first 43 games.

'Everybody expects us to go up the whole year and win it all,' head coach Mike Brown said of the Knicks, who reached the conference finals last year for the first time since 2000.

'But this is a process. We're going to (go) up, we're going to take a step backwards, we're going to figure it out.'

Detroit is the one foe the Knicks have yet to figure out. The Pistons' rapid rise to contention included a pair of convincing home wins over New York by scores of 121-90 on Jan. 5 and 118-80 on Feb. 6.

The Pistons, who are two years removed from going a franchise-worst 14-68, have the best record in the NBA at 40-13, percentage points ahead of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (42-14). Detroit has lost back-to-back games just twice and has yet to drop three in a row.

As with the Knicks, the improvement for Detroit is rooted in defense. The Pistons are allowing 109.3 points per game, the third-lowest figure in the NBA and nearly 10 points fewer than what they allowed in 2023-24.

But the rematch with the Knicks will mark the beginning of a challenging stretch for the Pistons. Center Isaiah Stewart remains suspended for the next six games -- five against prospective playoff teams -- for his role in the brawl with the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 9.

Detroit will also play Thursday without All-Star Jalen Duren, who is completing a two-game suspension stemming from his involvement in the fracas.

Stewart and Duran are combining for 27.7 points, 15.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

'I guess you can kind of understand it from the league's perspective. I would have liked to see Stew's number be less,' Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said prior to the win over the Raptors. 'As a group, we accepted it for what it is. Our guys will continue to do what they do and be who they are.'

--Field Level Media