Knicks Score 37 in Third Quarter to Beat Pistons 111-97
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns led a decisive turnaround that snapped a three-game losing streak and prevented a historic defensive collapse.
By Layla Fontaine ·
The New York Knicks defeated the Detroit Pistons 111-97 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, securing their first victory of the season. The win stopped the defending champions from falling to 0-4, a record that would have matched the 1969-70 Boston Celtics for the worst start by a title holder in NBA history.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 27 points and 20 rebounds. Jalen Brunson finished with 23 points, while Mikal Bridges scored 12 points after making his first four three-point attempts of the season. This was the Knicks' first win since Game 5 of the previous NBA Finals.
The game turned in the third quarter when the Knicks outscored Detroit 37-13. Brunson, who had shot 1-for-9 in the first half, hit his first three shots of the period. Bridges added a three-pointer to start an 11-0 run that extended the Knicks' lead to 62-50.
Towns scored seven consecutive points later in that quarter. The Knicks finished the period with a 12-2 surge, capped by a three-pointer from Josh Hart at the buzzer, to lead 88-63. The Pistons had beaten the Knicks in their last six regular season meetings, including three games earlier this season by margins of 121-90, 118-80, and 126-111.
For Detroit, Cade Cunningham recorded 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Paul Reed started at center in place of the injured Jalen Duren and contributed 22 points and nine rebounds. The Pistons dropped to 3-1 with the loss.
