The New York Knicks are aiming for their fifth consecutive win on Saturday night as they host the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden for the first time this season.
The Knicks have been dominant in their recent stretch, winning their last three games by an average margin of 24 points. They started this streak with a 99-98 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 29. New York then beat New Orleans 118-85, followed by a 121-106 victory over Orlando on Tuesday, ending the Magic’s six-game winning streak. Orlando had also won 12 of their last 13 games.
The Knicks kept the momentum going with a 125-101 win over Charlotte on Thursday, with Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way with 27 points. OG Anunoby added 25 points and Jalen Brunson chipped in 24 points. The Knicks have now won nine of their last 11 games, bouncing back from a 3-4 start to the season.
The Pistons and Knicks previously met on Nov. 1 in Detroit, where New York won 128-98. Brunson scored 36 points in that game, making 14 of his 22 shots and six of eight three-pointers.
Anunoby and Towns each scored 21 points, while Mikal Bridges had 15 points and Josh Hart contributed 13. The Knicks took a commanding 39-13 lead into the second quarter and maintained control throughout.
Towns, who was acquired in a major trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 2, has been one of the Knicks’ standout players this season. The four-time All-Star is averaging 25.2 points and 13.2 rebounds per game, both team highs. Brunson, playing at an All-Star level as well, is averaging 25.1 points and a team-leading 7.5 assists per game.
“Towns has always been a really good rebounder,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “He’s always had great instincts. He’s long and much stronger now than when I had him in Minnesota. He’s got great hands, too. If the ball’s near him, he’s getting it. He’s going after everything, so he’s playing at a very, very high level, but he can do more.”
The Pistons, after losing to the Knicks on Nov. 1, had a brief surge, winning six of their next nine games to get to just below .500 by Nov. 17. However, they’ve struggled since, winning only twice in their last nine games. Detroit now sits at 9-15, far from playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons have lost their last three games by double digits, including a 21-point loss at home to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Detroit lost 130-120 to the Boston Celtics in a game where they outscored Boston after the first quarter. However, their 15-point deficit was too much to overcome.
“If you look at the scores from the second through the fourth quarter, it was a different basketball game,” said Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “You just can’t put yourself in position to be down by 19 points to this team and expect to be able to claw your way back, turning the ball over and giving up offensive rebounds.”
Cade Cunningham has been the Pistons’ standout player this season. He’s averaging a team-high 23.6 points, 9.1 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game. Jalen Duren leads the team with 9.2 rebounds per game. Jaden Ivey is contributing 17.7 points, while Malik Beasley has emerged as a key scorer, averaging 15.7 points despite starting just seven of Detroit’s 24 games this season.
