The Knicks ended their three-game losing streak to open the season with a 111-97 win over the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. The victory eased the semipanic surrounding the defending NBA champions and reversed several troubling trends, including the Pistons' recent dominance over New York. Last season, Detroit won all three meetings by an average of 30 points.
New York had been outscored by 26 points in the second half of its first three games. This time, the Knicks blitzed the Pistons in the middle two quarters, outscoring them 63-25. Mikal Bridges woke up after failing to hit a 3-pointer in the first three games, connecting on four in this one. Coach Mike Brown said the team showed far better awareness and physicality against Detroit's shooters than in the previous game.
Jalen Brunson went 5-for-18 for 23 points but stayed aggressive, forcing the action and getting Pistons defensive ace Ausar Thompson to foul out in the fourth quarter as Detroit attempted a late charge. Karl-Anthony Towns delivered 27 points and 20 rebounds, his 14th game of at least 25 points and 20 rebounds, and the fourth in a Knicks uniform. Brown had challenged Towns at halftime to improve against Pistons center Paul Reed, who had been active early in Detroit's 15-point lead.
New York also contained Cade Cunningham, who shot 4-of-14 after the first quarter and had no other credible scoring option. Brown was clear that the work is not finished. "Is it fixed? No. it ain't fixed. Nothing's really fixed," he said. "What tonight shows us is we're more than capable if we put our minds to it."
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing