The Knicks faced another tough loss, this time to the Pistons, marking their fifth defeat in seven games despite a strong start.
This loss marks the Knicks’ fifth in their last seven games, which is pretty rough. To make matters worse, they had another injury to deal with. Karl-Anthony Towns hurt his right hand while trying to dunk in the first quarter. He kept playing but was clearly struggling with his thumb throughout the game.
The Knicks started strong, leading 63-59 at halftime, but they just couldn’t keep it up. The Pistons outscored them 36-27 in the third quarter and made the key plays in the fourth. Malik Beasley sealed the deal with a clutch three-pointer in the final moments.
Things got tense when the Knicks were down 116-114. A turnover from Brunson didn’t help, and Cunningham capitalized on it, hitting two free throws. He ended the night with a game-high 36 points. Towns had a tough time in the fourth, missing two three-pointers and committing an offensive foul.
This game felt a lot like their earlier losses this month, where they struggled in the second half. Brunson, who played through a shoulder injury, led the Knicks with 31 points, while Towns added 26.
The Pistons are on a roll, improving to 21-19 overall and winning 10 of their last 12 games. They’ve really turned things around from last season’s struggles. The Knicks will need to regroup quickly as they head to Philadelphia to face the 76ers on Wednesday.
