Knicks Snap Pistons' Winning Streak With 37-13 Third Quarter Surge

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a 111-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. The win stopped the New York Knicks from starting 0-4, a record that would have matched the 1969-70 Boston Celtics for the worst opening stretch by a defending NBA champion.

The Knicks entered the game with three losses in their first three contests. Those defeats came against Philadelphia, Boston, and Orlando. Detroit had beaten New York in all three meetings last season, winning by margins of 31, 38, and 15 points. The Pistons held a 3-1 record before Tuesday and were chasing their first four-win start since the 2018-19 campaign.

New York took control in the third quarter. The Knicks outscored Detroit 37-13 during that period. Jalen Brunson, who shot 1 for 9 in the first half, made his first three shots of the third quarter. Mikal Bridges also contributed, hitting his first four three-point attempts of the season for 12 points. The Knicks built a 25-point lead after Josh Hart drained a three-pointer at the buzzer of the third quarter to make the score 88-63.

Cade Cunningham finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists for Detroit. Paul Reed started at center in place of injured Jalen Duren, scoring 22 points and pulling down nine rebounds. The Pistons had previously dominated New York in the regular season, winning their last six meetings.

Brunson finished with 23 points for the Knicks. The team’s third-quarter performance marked a sharp departure from their earlier struggles, as they had lost as many games in three nights as they did in 19 games during their title run last season.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday night. The Pistons host the Charlotte Hornets, while the Knicks visit the Chicago Bulls.