The New York Knicks dropped their third straight meeting with the NBA-leading Detroit Pistons on Thursday, falling 117-102 at Madison Square Garden despite the visitors playing without suspended centers Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart.
Six-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns was held to just two points on three shots before halftime. He finished with 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and four assists, but acknowledged the club’s rigid offensive structure. “Our offense is our offense. It’s been that way all year,” Towns said. “We run the system we have implemented to the best of our abilities.”
Head coach Mike Brown maintained that Towns remains comfortable in the scheme. “We’re continuing to try different things to free him up,” Brown noted. “We’ll keep searching throughout the year.”
Additional Knicks notes
OG Anunoby: Returning from a toe procedure, the forward managed eight points on 3-for-13 shooting with no rebounds or assists across 32 minutes. He also struggled defensively against Cade Cunningham, who exploded for 42 points, 13 assists and eight boards.
Mikal Bridges: The starting wing sat the final 9:30 of the fourth quarter while Landry Shamet closed the game. Bridges had eight points on 4-of-9 shooting in 25 minutes. Brown said the switch was purely offensive: “We needed to score, and Landry was the only one to make a shot from behind the arc.”
Mohamed Diawara: The rookie logged nine minutes and said Jeremy Sochan’s recent signing does not worry him. “I’m just going to keep working and be ready for each opportunity,” he told reporters.
Jalen Brunson: In a Vanity Fair interview, the point guard reflected on the four-year, $156.5 million extension he accepted in 2024—$113 million less than he could have earned by waiting for free agency. Brunson said he hopes the franchise “does right by me” in the future but added the deal allowed him to play with “a free mind.” He will next be extension-eligible in 2027 and could reach free agency in 2028.
The Knicks, now 0-3 against Detroit this season, will look to regroup before hosting the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
Source: Hoops Rumors
