The New York Knicks will look to earn their fifth straight win on Saturday night, while the Detroit Pistons, on the road, travel to Madison Square Garden for the first time this season.
The Knicks have won their last three games by an average of 24 points after starting their series with a 99-98 win over the host Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 29. New York defeated New Orleans 118-85, then slowed the red-hot Magic with a decisive 121-106 win on Tuesday, ending Orlando’s six-game winning streak. The Magic had also won 12 of 13 games prior to that game.
New York continued its streak with a 125-101 win over Charlotte on Thursday, led by 27 points from Karl-Anthony Towns, 25 from OG Anunoby and 24 from Jalen Brunson. Overall, the Knicks have won nine of their last 11 games and are 3-4 off the start of the season.
The Pistons and Knicks met earlier this season in Detroit on Nov. 1, with New York winning 128-98. Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting and made six of his eight 3-pointers.
Anunoby and Towns each scored 21 points, while Mikal Bridges added 15 and Josh Hart 13. The Knicks took a 39-13 lead into the second quarter and kept the game out of reach the rest of the way.
Acquired in a sensational trade on Oct. 2 from the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 7-foot-10 Towns has been arguably the Knicks’ best player so far this season. The four-time All-Star is averaging a team-high 25.2 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. Brunson is also playing at an All-Star level again, as he trails Towns with 25.1 points and is also dishing out a team-high 7.5 assists per game.