The New York Knicks visit Detroit on Thursday to face the Pistons. Chances are, the Knicks will be making a return trip very soon.The two Eastern Conference teams likely are to face each other in the first round of the playoffs.The Knicks (50-29) currently hold the third seed by two games over Indiana with three games to play. New York holds the tiebreaker over the Pacers after winning the season series, 2-1. A victory on Thursday would lock New York into the third spot.Detroit (43-36) sits in the sixth spot, two games behind Milwaukee. The Pistons will play the Bucks on Friday and Sunday after their matchup against New York.The Knicks had the Pistons’ number for several years but not this season. New York won its 16th straight against the Pistons on Nov. 1, 128-98, in their last journey to Detroit.The Pistons defeated the Knicks for the first time since the 2019-20 season on Dec. 7 with a 120-111 victory in New York. Detroit prevailed at Madison Square Garden once again on Jan. 13, 124-119.Cade Cunningham has given the Knicks fits this season. Detroit’s All-Star guard has averaged 29.0 points, 8.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds against them.The Pistons have lost four of their last five games, including two straight at home. Memphis downed them, 109-103, on Saturday and Sacramento topped them, 127-117, on Monday.In the latter contest, Detroit squandered an 18-point lead, getting outscored 65-45 in the second half.”We slowed down offensively. But again, our offense starts with our defense getting stops and allowing us to get out in transition,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I thought defensively, we just let down.”