Back on Nov. 1, the Detroit Pistons crushed the New York Knicks 102-89 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. 15 days later, the Knicks made sure deja vu did not occur at Madison Square Garden.

The Big Men Display Their Talent to Start the Game

New York Knicks Foward Kristaps Porzingis dunks the ball and is fouled by Detroit Pistons foward Jon Leuer.
New York Knicks Forward Kristaps Porzingis dunks the ball and is fouled by Detroit Pistons forward Jon Leuer.
Photo Courtesy of Jim McIsaac, Newsday.

After both teams combined for a 0-7 start from the field, Kristaps Porzingis began to take over the game. He scored nine points and shot 4 of 5 from the floor after the first 12 minutes of the contest. Andre Drummond did not practice with the team on Tuesday due to a sprained ankle. Despite being doubtful to play, he grabbed seven boards in the first seven minutes of action.

Porzingis Continued to Dominate in Second Period

New York Knicks' President Phil Jackson in attendance for the game. Photo Courtesy of Jim McIsaac, Newsday
New York Knicks' President Phil Jackson in attendance for the game. Photo Courtesy of Jim McIsaac, Newsday.

Detroit started the second stanza of the game on a 6-0 run after trailing by two. Porzingis retaliated by scoring 10 straight points. From making three-pointers, driving to the paint and scoring off post moves, he was mixing his game well. Midway through the frame, New York went on a 15-4 run. Porzingis finished the quarter with 16 points. At halftime, the lead was in favor of the Knickerbockers 54-49.

Pistons Remained to be Within Reach

Despite strong offensive performance by KP and the Knicks, Detroit would not fall behind. They shot 50 percent from the floor after three quarters and were trailing by 81-74.

Game Got Decided Until Final Seconds

With 7:00 mins left in the game, Justin Holiday grabbed an offensive rebound. He then passed it to Carmelo Anthony who hit a three-pointer to give the Knicks their largest lead of the night, 12. Detroit then hit some open shots including a three-pointer from Ish Smith with 31 seconds left in regulation. The Knicks lead trimmed down to two points. Courtney Lee then grabbed an offensive board off an Anthony miss and passed the ball to Derrick Rose, who was fouled with three seconds left in the contest. After making only one of his two free throw attempts, the Pistons had one last chance to tie the game and send it to overtime. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope attempted a three-point shot but it did not go in.

Top Performances

Porzingis finished the night shooting 13 of 22 from the floor and shot 43 percent from beyond the arc. He also tallied seven boards and three assists. Anthony ended with 22 points and Derrick Rose with 15. Joakim Noah had 15 boards, three blocks and was three points shy of a double-double. Caldwell-Pope lead the way for Motor city with 21 points. Tobias Harris chipped in 19 points and 10 rebounds. Drummond concluded with 15 points and nine boards.

Quotes

Porzingis coach and teammates had high praises for him after the game. Knicks' head coach Jeff Hornacek said “He’s growing day by day. You saw the whole package tonight,” Rose stated, “He’s dangerous. He’s a unique player. Anthony told the media “Brilliant. Brilliant. It felt good seeing him get that rhythm tonight."

Other Things to Note

-The Knicks earned their third straight home game win.

-Lance Thomas did not play due to ankle problems.

-Justin Holiday, who scored 16 points last game against the Dallas Mavericks and has been productive offensively the past few games, scored nine points.

-Porzingis, was one minute shy from a career-high in minutes played. He logged in 40 tonight.

-The crowd serenaded Porzingis with “MVP! MVP!” chants during the fourth quarter and he told the media after the game, “It’s huge. Kept me going.”

-The Pistons are now 1-6 on the road.

Up Next

The Knicks will have less than 24 hours to prepare for their next game. They will take on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 7:00 p.m. E.T. Detroit’s next game will be on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. E.T. against the defending champions the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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