Detroit Downs Knicks in Homestand’s Finale

This time around, a lack of first period horsepower came back to stall out the New York Knicks.

Brutal bookends came back to bite the Knicks as they dropped a 120-111 decision to the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. The loss prevented the Knicks (14-9) from obtaining a perfect four-game homestand and stopped what’s tied for their longest winning streak of the season at four.

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 31 points, pairing them with 10 assists in defeat.

En route to ending a three-game losing streak, Detroit (10-15) enjoyed a triple-double from Cade Cunningham, as the top pick from 2021 put up 29 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds. Behind him was a strong relief effort from Malk Beasley, who earned all but two of his points on a 7-of-10 tally from three-point range.

Detroit took advantage of a Knicks group missing Karl-Anthony Towns, posting a plus-12 advantage on the glass while he sat. Jericho Sims got the start in his place but he was pulled quickly in favor of a Precious Achiuwa/Ariel Hukporti platoon. Sims played only six minutes and did not return, as Achiuwa (10) and Josh Hart (6) united for 16 of the Knicks’ 31 rebounds. No other New Yorker had more than four.

The Knicks hit the road for a game before they engage in their NBA Cup quarterfinal match, as they’ll take on the Toronto Raptors in Ontario on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!