Blown Out. Again. Without KAT & OG. Detroit 118 NY 80

February 7, 2026 LouV 2025-26 0
Mikal Bridges led NY with 19 pts. Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

The Knicks were BLOWN OUT from start to finish — again — by the Pistons in Detroit, 118-80 on a cold-turning-bitter-cold Friday night.

NY was without Karl-Anthony Towns (recovering from 6 stitches to his forehead), OG Anunoby (toe issue that cropped up in warmups), and Miles McBride (out for the regular season with surgery on his ankle) — and maybe they would have made things different, and maybe not. Detroit was missing Jalen Duren.

Detroit blew out NY in January, 121-90, and it was the same thing this time — ending NY’s 8-game winning streak.

The game took a turn with 2 minutes left in the 1st quarter, when the Knicks — down 20-14 — grabbed 3 straight offensive rebounds, and missed three straight 3-pointers and a drive, while Detroit scored the other way — then NY missed another 3, grabbed another offensive rebound, and missed another drive — while Detroit scored the other way again to go up 24-14.

That seemed to break NY’s mojo and give Detroit momentum. It was blowout city after that, as Detroit suffocated Jalen Brunson into a 4-20 shooting night (0-8 from 3) and he and the Knicks in general missed 3 after 3.

Mikal Bridges led NY with 19 pts on 7-16 shooting (3-7 from 3) but it was a soft 19 pts — he did not take over the game as Brunson was being blitzed. Jordan Clarkson was the 3rd leading Knick scorer with 11 pts on 3-6 shooting. Landry Shamet was limited to 5 pts on 2-7 shooting. Josh Hart also had only 5 pts on 2-7 shooting, before leaving with an ankle injury in the 3rd quarter.

Detroit was up 28-17 after 1, 63-42 at the half, 89-60 after 3, and by 40+ points in the 4th.

“We got our buts kicked, starting with me,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards. Brown credited Detroit’s defense — especially their 2nd team, calling them out by name — and said the Pistons made the Knicks rush their 3’s all night.

Detroit was coming off a horrible loss to the Wizards the night before. NY was coming off an epic win over Denver 2 nights earlier.

NY falls to 33-19 and drops into 3rd place a game behind Boston which won, and 5.5 behind Detroit. The Pistons improve to 38-13.

1. Close Game Early — Detroit Pulls Away After Key Knick Misses

NY jumped out to an early lead on a couple of 3’s by Mikal Bridges as the Knicks looked to show Detroit who they were — even without KAT, OG, and McBride.

Detroit used a hounding defense from the start, and keyed on Brunson.

Detroit was up 20-14 when the turning point of the game happened:

On the very next possession:

  • Landry Shamet missed a 3, but
  • Shamet got the offensive rebound for NY, and
  • Mikal Bridges missed a 3.
  • Detroit got the rebound and Jenkins scored on a layup the other way to make it 24-14.

NY had gotten 4 offensive rebounds on 2 possessions — missed four 3 pointers and 2 drives — and Detroit outscored them 4-0.

2. Detroit’s 2nd Team Stifles NY

That became part of a 14-3 Detroit run to end the 1st quarter and launch them to a 28-17 lead. Detroit’s second team — especially — took it to NY with stifling defense which led to fast-break offense.

Daniss Jenkins — an undrafted 6’4 guard out of St. John’s (and Iona) in his 2nd season with Detroit — led them in scoring with 18 pts off the bench on 7-11 shooting (3-6 from 3) and a +23 in 18 minutes.

Jenkins hit a 3 at the buzzer to end the 1st quarter with Detroit on the 14-3 run.

“Daniss Jenkins didn’t need to be drafted to get himself on a roster or make an impact,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “He did it by earning minutes, by defending hard the entire possession. creating his own offense and creating for others, does the little things, fearless, plays his role and plays with an edge.”

Jenkins and the Detroit bench destroyed NY:

  • Paul Reed had 12 pts on 4-8 shooting (1-3 from 3) and a +32,
  • Javonte Green had 8 pts on 3-3 shooting (2-2 from 3),
  • Caris LeVert had 8 pts on 3-5 shooting (2-3 from 3),
  • Ronald Holland II had 5 pts, 6 rebounds, and a +28 in 21 minutes, and
  • Kevin Huerter had 8 pts on 4-6 shooting.

Not that Detroit’s starters did badly. They all had positive +/- numbers as well. Cade Cunningham had 11 pts on 4-11 shooting in only 22 minutes, Tobias Harris had 15 pts (and a +21), Isaiah Stewart had 15 pts (on 5-6 shooting), Duncan Robinson had 9 pts in 20 min, and Ausar Thompson had 2 pts in 24 minutes but played great D for a +11.

3. Detroit Up by 21 at Half

Tyler Kolek came in and hooked up with Mitchell Robinson for a couple of alley oop slams at the start of the 2nd quarter

But even that couldn’t right the Knicks ship as NY kept missing 3’s and NY’s defense could not stop Detroit. The Pistons went up by 21 at the half, 63-42.

4. Detroit Up by 29 After 3

It was more of the same in the 3rd quarter — Brunson with a miserable offensive night and other Knicks not offering much else. NY kept missing 3’s. Bridges would stick a jumper here and there but Detroit was in total command.

5. Brunson and Starters Rest in 4th

Brunson and the Knick starters were kept on the bench in the 4th, as the Knick reserves — Kevin McCullar Jr., Trey Jemison III, Pacome Dadiet, Ariel Hukporti, and Tyler Kolek played the game out.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810597

 

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