Facing what’s probably their biggest test of the season to date, the New York Knicks sputtered in the Motor City.
The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons earned a quantum of revenge against the Knicks on Monday night, posting a 121-90 shellacking at Little Caesars Arena. Monday marked the first meeting between the Eastern Conference leaders since New York took a six-game set in the opening round of last spring’s playoffs.
Franchise faces lived up to their respective billings as Jalen Brunson scored 25 points while Cade Cunningham put up a 29-point, 13-assist double-double. But help was hard to come by on the metropolitan side, which is in the midst of its first four-game losing streak since last February.
Brunson’s fellow starters were a combined 7-of-21 from the field as primary assistance came from a 17-point night in relief for Miles McBride, but Detroit easily outdid that with three different subs (Javonte Green, Jaden Ivey, and St. John’s alum Daniss Jenkins) reaching double-figures.
The Knicks (23-13) never led after a brief 1-0 lead brought about by an OG Anunoby free throw, which was followed by nine straight Detroit points to set the tone for the evening.
That eight-point deficit was shrunk to one by the end of the period but Detroit was able to boost it to double-figures when the halftime horn sounded. The Knicks lost nine turnovers in the second to bring about their demise faster, negating a half where they shot just under 54 percent, including an 8-of-14 tally from three (half the makes from McBride and Jordan Clarkson).
But a third period breakout from Cunningham, which saw him play a role in 19 of 25 Detroit points between assists and his own tallies, more or less sealed the Knicks’ fate. The lead got up to as high as 24 as the Knicks’ shooting fell flat, with Brunson’s 2-of-8 eight outing headlining a 23 percent shooting dozen.
The lead was 20 by the end of the third, so the Knicks sat their starters for the fourth, which featured no major resistance from New York. Monday’s final margin of minus-31 was the Knicks’ worst in a game since a defeat of 37 last February in Cleveland. Missing Josh Hart yet again, the Knicks also struggled to defend the paint, losing the rebounding battle by 14 and the points in the post by 18.
New York will have a chance at Motor City redemption on Feb. 6. In the meantime, the Knicks’ next chance to stop the slide comes at home, as they’ll face the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
