Cam Payne provides surprise spark Knicks needed in huge Game 1 win

Prediction? Pain. Cam Payne. 

But really, nobody could have predicted this. Not even Clubber Lang. 

Payne wasn’t even expected to be a big part of the Knicks’ playoff rotation, if part of it at all.

But coach Tom Thibodeau surprisingly featured a nine-man rotation, and there Payne was, injecting needed life into the Knicks when they hit their low point of Game 1 against the Pistons.

More than injecting life, he momentarily carried their offense and sparked an epic 21-0 run in the fourth quarter that lifted the Knicks to a 123-112 win Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. 

He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 14 in 15 minutes off the bench.

He was also a game-high plus-23.

Beyond his scoring, he forced the Pistons into a five-second violation in the beginning of the fourth quarter, which helped start the comeback. 

“The thing about him, he knows exactly who he is,” Thibodeau said of Payne. “He comes in with great energy every game, carries himself well each and every day. He gave us a huge spark, that’s been who he is.” 

That energy rubbed off on the rest of his teammates, a characteristic Payne has possessed throughout his 10-year career. 

Following the game, Payne received a big hug from actor Ben Stiller.

He received a standing ovation when he was subbed out with 1:58 remaining in the game and was animatedly pumping up the crowd. 

“My mom was sitting, not right behind the bench, but kinda up there. And I was just looking at them like, ‘Let’s turn up, let’s turn up,’” Payne said of his celebrations. “I don’t know, sometimes when we’re on a run and I’m playing real good, sometimes I check out. My mind goes blank. I’m trying to get hype still. I don’t know, I just like having fun out there. 

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“She was up there doing the same thing I was doing. She was like, ‘Yeah, turn up, turn up.’ I’m just like her, that’s where I get my energy from.” 

The Knicks have plenty of playoff experience, but nobody in the rotation has more than Payne, who played in his 59th postseason game.

Only PJ Tucker has more on the roster, and he did not play Saturday. 

Energy is usually associated with youth. But Payne believes it’s that veteran mindset that brings it out of him. 

“I [am one of] the oldest guys on the team, so having somebody into the game, it’s a different kind of experience, especially for the rookies,” Payne said. “We’re in the NBA, sometimes people have the chill [mindset], just chilling. I’m happy to be in the league, I enjoy it, so I try to just have fun every single night. 

“I could be doing something else, but I’m playing in the Garden. I gotta have fun. I just try my best to bring my energy and it’s infectious. Everybody feeds off it. That’s a good feeling.”