The New York Knicks scored their lowest point total of the season in their 118-80 loss to the Detroit Pistons
The New York Knicks entered Friday night's contest against the Detroit Pistons on an eight-game winning streak, being the hottest team in basketball, with their most recent win being a double-overtime thriller with the Denver Nuggets. However, the odds weren't in New York's favor.
Going up against the Pistons, the Knicks were set to be without Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, two of their three best players. While they still had Jalen Brunson and the rest of their supporting cast, the Pistons proved they still have New York's number.
Pistons Defeat Knicks In Blowout For Second Time
The Pistons and Knicks matched up on January 5th for the first time this season, with Detroit winning 121-90 at home. Unfortunately, it was a similar result for the Knicks on Friday night, but even worse this time.
The Knicks scored a season-low 80 points in a 118-80 loss. It was a poor night offensively from the Knicks, shooting 35% from the field and 24% from three. Furthermore, they couldn't stop the Pistons, who shot 53% from the field and dominated without a single player having 20 or more points.
Detroit had Jalen Brunson locked up on Friday night, holding him to 4-of-20 shooting and just 12 points. After the game, Brunson was brutally honest about the result.
“I thought we were trying to do the right things but we didn’t execute as well as we could have," he shared.
The Knicks got 19 points from Mikal Bridges, as he was the lone offensive bright spot, despite having a team-worst -28 plus-minus.
Can The Knicks Overcome The Pistons In The East?
Fans may be quick to point out that the Knicks were without starters in both losses to the Pistons this season (Josh Hart in Game 1, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 2), but same was the case for the Pistons.
In the first win, the Pistons were without Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren, and were without Duren again on Friday. Even though both games were in Detroit, the Knicks lost by 30+ points in both contests.
In terms of the Knicks getting better, the only hope is the addition of Jose Alvarado and improvement from players on the team in general. Alvarado is no doubt a good player, but he isn't a game-changer by any means to swing a 30-point difference.
The Knicks will see the Pistons one more time this regular season after the All-Star break, but in Madison Square Garden. If they can't secure a win there, it's hard to imagine how a playoff series goes in New York's favor if they match up for the second year in a row.