Detroit Pistons EXPOSED In Loss To New York Knicks… Or Just A Bad Game?!

Detroit, MI – Well, that escalated quickly.

The New York Knicks (1-3) beat the Detroit Pistons (3-1) at their own game: Physicality and defense. After a dominant start by Paul Reed, they couldn’t find ways to recapture what went right in the first quarter.

Reed, who was starting in place of injured star Jalen Duren, finished the game with 22 points and 9 rebounds. He paced the Pistons early with 13 points (5/6 FG) to help bolster a big first quarter lead.

Cade Cunningham was already on triple-double watch and there was nothing but good vibes by the end of the first. Cunningham, who finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, appeared to be on the way to another Madison Square masterclass.

And that’s when the wheels fell off for the road team. After winning the first quarter by 13 points, 38-25, the Pistons failed to score more than 13 points in either of the next 2 quarters.

They went from controlling the game through rebounding and paint presence, to backpedaling versus the Knicks big man rotation.

Karl-Anthony Towns and former Piston Andre Drummond combined for 28 rebounds! The game plan was simple: show hard and cut on pick-and-roll opportunities. Against most teams, the Pistons will have the match-up advantage to successfully defend. But Jalen Brunson just made the right read time and time again.

If the Pistons didn’t double team off PnR action, then he’d drive and draw the foul. Brunson (23 points) received 16 free throw attempts which helped balance a 5-18 shooting night. When the Pistons did bring extra help to force the ball out of his hands, he routinely made the right reads to the rolling big.

Despite forcing Brunson into a tough shooting night, he was still able to make plays for his teammates. Especially during a stretch where he found Drummond for a few easy buckets off the pick and roll. And when needed, Towns was effective in mucking things up in the paint where he did most of his damage. He finished with 27 points, with only one three made, as he attacked the paint.

The game’s physicality reached a heated moment when Towns and Reed got tangled up and had to be separated.

Overall what was working for the Pistons in the first 3 games, all came up empty versus the Knicks.

Three point shooting was practically non existent and exposed how this team could look when cold.

Although they raced off to a fast start in the first quarter, they failed to match the intensity level the Knicks consistently brought throughout.

That lead to unforced errors, and pressing on offense the 2nd half of the game due to having to play catch up. The Pistons shot 9-37 (24%) from three which was a reversal of early season fortunes.

Coming into the game they enjoyed the NBA’s 3rd best percentage from deep lead by Duncan Robinson’s hot start and John Collins’ 50% shooting from long range.

Collins is still shooting 50% after the Knicks game, because he didn’t take a single three. Admittedly, that was confusing after seeing how dynamic his outside shooting made their offense the two previous games.

As fans hoped for another comeback win, what worked vs the Celtics on opening day, sputtered versus the Knicks, who knocked their win-less rust off against Detroit.

The Pistons offense does need to find ways to evolve during times that Cade Cunningham ISN’T on the court, and for times when the three ball just didn’t show up to work. Which happens. But you can’t let it crater your offense completely.

We know Cade can go get his, but can the Pistons manufacture offense outside of that when the pressure is turned up?

One loss turns the tide, just as much as a good win could.

The Pistons won’t have to wait long to try and wash the taste of losing out of their mouths. They return home to tip-off with the Charlotte Hornets for the second game of a back-to-back.

If they win, all will seemingly be forgiven. But if they lose, the preseason noise of regression, and having not done enough in free agency will turn back up.