The New York Knicks are in trouble. For the first time in nearly two years, they have lost four games in a row, dropping a big matchup against the Detroit Pistons in yet another embarrassing game, losing 90-121.
In addition, they have now fallen below the Boston Celtics for the third seed in the Eastern Conference after their win over the Chicago Bulls.
The Knicks put together another awful defensive effort
Defense is a massive issue, and it can’t be stated enough. Once again, the Knicks provided no resistance whatsoever. The Pistons got whatever they wanted all around the court, torching the Knicks each and every way.
Detroit shot 55% from the field and 52% from three against New York. The Pistons were missing Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Caris LeVert, but it did not matter as Detroit dissected New York with their depth pieces.
The Knicks played lackluster defense and couldn’t secure rebounds, getting outrebounded 44-30. The effort level on that end of the floor during this skid is borderline embarrassing, and it needs to change now, or else this team will be in serious trouble.
Karl-Anthony Towns was disappointing once again
Karl-Anthony Towns’ inconsistent season is hitting rock bottom. He has struggled mightily during this losing streak, and he once again couldn’t make a positive impact on Monday.
Towns scored just six points on the night, and only took four shots all game. They are simply not getting All-Star production from him, and the lack of scoring is becoming a real problem for a player who was expected to be the No. 2 option to Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks can’t keep playing the waiting game for Towns to turn things around. Something has to change immediately, or some uncomfortable conversations about his future with the team need to be had.
The third quarter dug the Knicks in
The Knicks were trailing this game most of the night, but the third quarter is where they saw their chances completely slip away. They scored only 15 points in the third quarter, which was their fewest in a quarter all season.
As a team, they shot just 5-for-22 from the field in the third quarter and 2-for-9 from three. They took bad shots and couldn’t match up the physicality Detroit gave them, and they saw their deficit balloon to as much as 24 in that period, and eventually 33 by the game’s end.
This is now the third straight game in which the Knicks trailed by 20 or more points, an indication that they have nothing working on either end of the floor. If things don’t turn around fast, they can find themselves having to play catch up the rest of the way in the East.
Overview
The Knicks’ recent struggles are stunning given how well they played at the start of the year. It won’t get any easier for them on Wednesday, as they have the Los Angeles Clippers next up, who have been playing much better lately.
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