The Knicks’ perimeter defense was terrible against the Pistons. After improving that part of the floor during the winning streak, Detroit outlasted New York and made 18 of 36 threes.
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham torched the Knicks with one of the best performances of his career. He recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds. He led the charge for his team and helped set the tone early, as Detroit outscored New York 39-23 in the first quarter.
Malik Beasley hounded New York with seven threes off the bench for a total of 23 points. The Knicks left him wide open several times, allowing easy, uncontested shots from one of the league’s best three-point shooters.
Every time it looked like the Knicks were fired up and ready to make a comeback, poor transition defense led to easy baskets for the Pistons, which ultimately led to their loss in this game.