On the heels of a dominant win over the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Detroit Pistons in the second leg of a back-to-back on Monday 124-119. The Knicks have now lost five of their last seven games and are 26-15 on the season, while the Pistons continue their surprising season with their seventh win in eight games and are 21-19.
Turnovers killed the Knicks’ momentum
New York shot the ball very well once again, going 50% from the floor and 40.5% from three. However, costly turnovers were the difference maker for New York, which is ultimately what gave this game away.
The Knicks committed 17 turnovers, including two costly ones from Karl-Anthony Towns in the final minute. The Pistons were able to take advantage of their mistakes, as they scored 21 points off turnovers and outscored New York 65-56 in the second half.
New York’s turnovers were more costly given their defensive woes on the night. Cade Cunningham gave the Knicks tons of trouble in the second half, as he scored 29 of his 36 points in the second half.
Additionally, Malik Beasley continued his rampage at Madison Square Garden this season with 22 points and six three-pointers in just 18 minutes off the bench. Beasley hit a pair of dagger threes that were wide open in the closing seconds, which ultimately sealed the Knicks’ fate.
Mikal Bridges did all he could to keep the Knicks in it
After some rough performances from Mikal Bridges, he bounced back in a big way against Detroit to try to keep the Knicks in it. He scored 27 points and shot 6-for-8 from three-point range.
Bridges scored 19 of his points in the second half and was a catalyst for New York’s offense. He and the All-Star duo of Towns and Jalen Brunson all combined to score 84 points, but it unfortunately was not enough for them to come away victorious.
Overview
The Knicks’ slide continues with this loss to Detroit, and they need to find a way to play at a more consistent level. They will now briefly head on the road for a showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, a game that is sure to be action-packed.