Kinda saw it coming. Four Knicks (33\*-19) were listed as OUT at Little Caesars Arena tonight: Karl-Anthony Towns (eye), OG Anunoby (toe), Miles McBride (hernia surgery), and Jose Alvarado (still in transit). Plus Josh Hart was playing, but hindered by a sore ankle. This was _not_ a full-strength squad that came to battle the Conference-leading Detroit Pistons (38-13). Sure a loss seemed possible, but we expected a little better than a 118-80 finish . . . I mean, the _Wizards_ beat Detroit last night, and New York had won eight consecutive games. A 38-point blowout?
YIK asks, “Do we really need a recap of this game?” No. But here you go anyway.
With two starters out, coach Mike Brown fielded a starting lineup of Jalen Brunson (12 PTS, 4-of-20 FG), Mikal Bridges (19 PTS, 7-of-16 FG), Josh Hart (5 PTS, 6 RBS), Mohamed Diawara (4 PTS, 2 RBS), and Mitchell Robinson (4 PTS, 3 RBS). For most of the first quarter, it wasn’t awful. In fact, the period was a low-scoring, tightly fought affair until late.
For Detroit, Cade Cunningham (11 PTS, 7 AST) attacked the rim, hit from deep, and drew fouls, while Paul Reed (12 PTS, 6 RBS) and Isaiah Stewart (15 PTS) dominated down low. The Pistons shot 55% and won the pain 18-4 while the Knicks shot 3-for-12 from deep and attempted zero free throws. It didn’t help that Brunson missed seven of his first eight shots. The Pistons’ defense made his life hell tonight. Bridges kept our heroes afloat with a couple of threes, but a 19-5 Detroit run over the final minutes broke the game open. Heading into the second, the home team was up 28-17.
The second quarter opened with a pair of Robinson alley-oops, but that was it for highlights. Detroit continued to dominate by getting contributions across the lineup, including Cunningham, Tobias Harris, Reed, and Josh Green. Against the short-handed Knicks, J.B. Bickerstaff’s club looked _deep_. For New York, Bridges was the lone consistent scorer, Jalen Brunson continued to brick (1-of-5 in Q2), and the good guys found themselves on the wrong end of a 63-42 halftime score.
In the first half, New York shot 35% from the field and 26% from three, while Detroit shot 55% overall and 56% from deep. The latter outscored New York in the paint (26-16) and on the break (11-5). Brunson missed all five three-point attempts, while Hart went 1-for-7 for two points. Bridges was the lone consistent scorer, putting up 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and hitting three threes; no other Knick had reached double figures.
Detroit blew the game open in the third by staying composed and repeatedly punishing New York’s mistakes. Cunningham and Harris generated clean looks, while Daniss Jenkins (18 PTS) scored from all over to keep piling up the lead. The Knicks missed a run of jumpers—Brunson and Bridges both struggled to convert—and couldn’t string together stops or quality possessions. To make matters worse, Hart tweaked something that sent him to the locker room, ending his night. Another long run by the Pistons put them up 90-60 going into the fourth.
The fourth quarter was garbage time with a scoop of trash on top. Detroit kept padding their lead. Kevin Huerter made his debut as a Piston. Trey Jemison III and Pacome Dadiet got some floor time for New York. What else do you need to know? YIK was right. At one point, the camera caught Jalen and Mikal looking forlorn on the bench. If the camera panned back to show my mug, back at the Binghamton headquarters, surely you would have seen the same expression.
On to the next one, which is . . . ahh, crap. . . .
The hits keep coming for our heroes, with a trip to Boston to battle the Celtics in a Sunday matinee. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.