Detroit came out with a rough defense that put the Knicks 13 points down in the 2nd quarter, but NY got tough and together to tie the game by the half and rip the Pistons in the 2nd half — building a 27-pt lead en route to a thorough win at Madison Square Garden on a Tuesday night. It was the Knicks’ first win of the year.
The Knick defense came alive midway through the 2nd quarter, with Josh Hart intercepting passes, OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet creating steals, and Andre Drummond dominating inside defensively and offensively at center, with slam-dunk feeds from Jalen Brunson.
Karl-Anthony Towns joined the fray of Knick intensity at the end of the 2nd quarter and start of the 3rd as the Knicks turned a 51-50 halftime lead into an 18-point lead midway thru the period, 21-point lead with 3 minutes left, and 25-pt lead as the period ended. NY maintained that 20-pt lead until 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter when some sloppy turnovers allowed the Pistons to pull within 11 with 2:39 to go. But a Josh Hart 3 and KAT tip-shot put the Pistons to bed.
KAT had a great 2nd half and finished with 27 pts on 12-21 shooting (1-5 from 3) and 20 rebounds. Andre Drummond had a huge night off the bench with 10 pts (on 5-7 shooting) and 8 rebounds in 14 minutes. Jalen Brunson — hounded by 6’8 defensive specialist Ausar Thompson — had 23 pts on 5-18 shooting. Josh Hart played Great and had 5 steals — but only took 2 shots — hitting both for 6 pts. OG Anunoby and Tyler Kolek had 2 steals each as NY had 10 steals on the night.
“We talk about trying to string a game together close to 48 minutes of basketball we know how to play and we like to play,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards. “We had some lulls where we weren’t as successful as we should have been during the game — but we had good moments. We had more good moments in this game in totality than we had in our first 3 games and that’s why we got the win.”
“Our physicality on both sides of the ball — offensively and defensively — was really good,” added Brown. “We set solid screens offensively; we hit the glass.”
NY improves to 1-3. Detroit loses their first game of the year, dropping to 3-1.
1. Pistons Come Out with a Hammering Defense
The Pistons under J.B. Bickerstaff play a rough and tough and hammering defense.
6’9 Paul Reed was hammering the Knicks inside, 6’8 Ausur Thompson was mauling Jalen Brunson outside and on drives, 6’9 John Collins was doing more of the same, as was Javonte Green and Cade Cunningham and the rest of the Pistons as they manhandled the Knicks and took a 38-25 lead after 1 quarter.
2. Down 13 in 2nd, Knicks Intensify Defense to Take 51-50 Lead
The 2nd quarter started out with more of the same, and Detroit held a 12-pt lead wat 42-30 with 8:43 left.
And then Andre Drummond entered the game off the bench and invigorated NY with an offensive rebound and slam dunk to pull NY within 8 at 42-34, then a tough defensive rebound down the other end. Josh Hart picked the energy up — intercepting a pass that led to a Shamet 3 and NY was down by 5 just like that.
complete team win ‼️ https://t.co/hSQ6Uqj8Th
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 28, 2026
Hart intercepted another pass, then Shamet and OG started intercepting passes or grabbing loose balls and the Knicks started to look like the Knicks. Another Drummond bucket inside off a nifty Brunson drive-and-pass pulled NY within 43-41.
5 steals is certified stealing and dealing ✅ https://t.co/9oj569ePM8
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 28, 2026
Then Mikal Bridges finally made a 3 and NY had a 46-45 lead. Brunson free throws near the halftime buzzer put NY up 51-50 at the half.
3. Knicks Intensify D & Refs Call Pistons for Fouls
“We were much more intentional in pick and rolls in the middle of the floor and screening X5,” said Knick assistant coach TJ Saint at halftime, explaining how the Knicks took control of the game in the 2nd quarter. “I think they’re going to be more aggressive with Jalen (in the 2nd half); how we handle the blitz will be paramount.”
The refs also started calling the Piston’s fouls — putting them in foul trouble. Paul Gelb summed it up thusly: “Pistons Defense System:
- Foul egregiously, every possession
- Dare refs to call fouls in 1 out of 3 possessions
- Complain in presser when the refs accept the dare.
The Knicks played through the fouls like a contender.”
4. KAT & Defense Push NY to 25-Pt Lead in 3rd
NY came out with the same intensity to start the 3rd and took over the game. KAT started the quarter with a drive off a Josh Hart pass, then Hart picked up a steal that led to a Brunson bucket and NY was up by 5. Another Brunson bucket put NY up 7 and a Bridges 3 put them up by 10.
OG stole the ball from Ausar Thompson leading to another Brunson bucket and NY was up by 12.
OG hit a deuce, KAT dunked inside then hit a 3 next time down and NY was up by 18.
Josh Hart took his first shot of the night in the final seconds of the 3rd — in to-that-point 24 minutes played — and hit it — a 3 for a 25-pt Knick lead at 88-63.
YESSIRRR JOSH https://t.co/3WNihOgThn
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 28, 2026
5. NY Go Up by 27; Lead by 20 With 6 Min Left in 4th
Tyler Kolek played the backup point guard position with Jose Alvarado still out day-to-day. Kolek was wheeling and stealing and dealing at the start of the 4th — including a steal and behind-the-back pass to KAT for a layup that put NY up 90-63.
OMG TYLER KOLEK 🤯 https://t.co/QOjEJp368d
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 28, 2026
6. Knicks Get Sloppy; Detroit Pulls within 11 with 2:39 Left
But the Pistons hung around. Duncan Robinson hit a 3, and Ausar Thompson got buckets while the Knicks were getting carefree and careless with the basketball — some of it due to renewed last-ditch Piston pressure.
NY was still up by 20 with 6 minutes left, but 7 straight Pistons points — a 3 by Taurean Prince, a bucket by Ronald Holland II, and a bucket by Paul Reed pulled Detroit within 13 at 99-86 with 4:54 left.
OG and Brunson pushed back but 5 straight points by Duncan Robinson (a 3 and a deuce) and a bucket by Holland pulled Detroit within 11 with 2:39 left.
7. Hart 3 & KAT Tip In Finish It Off
Finally — Josh Hart hit a 3 with 2:18 left, and a minute later KAT pulled down an offensive rebound and put it back in for a 109-95 lead with 1:43 left and the old ballgame — as Detroit called a timeout and emptied their bench as did the Knicks.
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