After receiving their NBA Finals loss, the Knicks went 0–3, but last night they got a win over the Pistons

The Pistons jumped out to a 38-25 lead after the first quarter, but the Knicks flipped the game in the middle periods. New York outscored Detroit 26-12 in the second quarter and then exploded for a 37-13 third quarter, building a lead as large as 27 points. The Knicks held a 63-25 advantage across the second and third quarters combined. Detroit mounted a late push in the fourth (34-23) but never got closer than 11 points.

Knicks 111, Pistons 97 After opening the season 0-3 as the defending champions, the New York Knicks earned their first win of the year Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, knocking off the previously undefeated Detroit Pistons.

Scoring breakdown

Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 27 points and a massive 20 rebounds. Jalen Brunson added 23 points (he was quiet early but heated up in the third). Mikal Bridges chipped in 12 points, including his first four three-pointers of the season. For Detroit, Paul Reed scored 22 points with 9 rebounds, and Cade Cunningham posted 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.Defense & key moments

New York’s defense was the story after the opening period. The Knicks clamped down hard, limiting Detroit to just 25 points over the middle two quarters while forcing poor shooting (Pistons went 9-of-37 from three, 24%). The Knicks also recorded 10 steals and controlled the glass.

Brunson’s aggression in the second half helped force Ausar Thompson into foul trouble late. The win moved the Knicks to 1-3 and handed the Pistons their first loss of the season (now 3-1).

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