The New York Knicks beat the Pistons 111-97 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, overcoming a 13-point first-quarter deficit behind Karl-Anthony Towns’ 27 points and 20 rebounds. Jalen Brunson added 23 points and seven assists as New York earned its first win of the season.
Detroit opened the game on a 38-25 run through the first quarter, with Paul Reed scoring 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting to pace the Pistons. The Knicks answered with a 26-12 second quarter and a 37-13 third that turned a double-digit deficit into a lead they would not relinquish. Cade Cunningham finished with 19 points and eight assists for Detroit, which saw its three-game winning streak snapped.
Key Moments: How New York Erased The Deficit
Detroit built its 38-25 edge after the first quarter largely off Paul Reed, who scored 13 of his 22 points in the opening period on a variety of hooks, layups and a buzzer-beating three-pointer that made it 38-25. The Pistons led by as many as 13 points, according to the official data.
New York flipped the game in the middle two quarters. The Knicks outscored Detroit 26-12 in the second quarter and 37-13 in the third, a 63-25 stretch that turned the 13-point deficit into a lead the Pistons never threatened again. New York’s largest lead reached 27 points. Detroit outscored the Knicks 34-23 in the fourth quarter, but the deficit was already too large to overcome.
Top Performers
Towns led all scorers with 27 points on 12-of-21 shooting, 20 rebounds and three assists. Brunson scored 23 points despite going 5 of 18 from the field, converting 13 of 16 free throws. Mikal Bridges finished with 12 points and four 3-pointers made on eight attempts, and OG Anunoby added 13 points and seven rebounds. Josh Hart posted a plus-19 rating in 27 minutes with six points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals.
For Detroit, Reed’s 22 points and nine rebounds led the team, while Cunningham added 19 points, eight assists and nine rebounds in 36 minutes. Ausar Thompson scored 11 points and Duncan Robinson added 12, though Robinson shot just 4 of 14 from the field and finished a team-worst minus-15.
What It Means
The win moves New York to 1-3 on the season, snapping an 0-3 start, while Detroit falls to 3-1. In the Atlantic Standings, the Knicks sit two games behind Philadelphia and Boston, both 3-1, with their win streak now at one game. Detroit remains atop the Central Standings at 3-1 despite the loss, half a game ahead of Cleveland. New York leads the season series 1-0, according to the official data.
The Knicks’ rebounding margin, 49-45 overall and 19-15 on the offensive glass, helped offset 18 turnovers that led to 23 points for Detroit. New York shot 82% from the free-throw line on 23-of-28 shooting, a sharp contrast to Detroit’s 58% mark at the line.
What’s Next
The Knicks and Pistons will play again later this week.
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