After a hot start to the regular season, the Detroit Pistons were unable to close a three-game road trip on a strong note.
They lost to the New York Knicks on the road, 111-97, to fall to 3-1 overall. The Pistons trailed by as many as 27 points and struggled from the arc, shooting just 9-for-37 (24.3%) from 3 after hitting 42% of their looks through the first three games. Paul Reed led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds, and Cade Cunningham added 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Ausar Thompson returned after missing one game with a right ankle sprain. Isaiah Joe missed the game after suffering a right hip contusion on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, and Jalen Duren missed his second-straight game with a right hamstring strain.
It was a promising start for the Pistons, who led 38-25 after the opening period, but they were crushed in the second and third quarters. The Knicks found their defensive groove as foul trouble, injuries and struggles from the arc took the bite out of a Pistons' offense that had been potent through three games.
They were outscored, 63-25, in the second and third quarters. The Pistons slumped to 3-for-21 overall shooting and 1-for-11 shooting from 3 in the second as the Knicks took off, taking the lead for good with a pair of free throws from Brunson with 2.4 seconds left in the half. In the third, the Pistons were held to 6-for-21 overall (28.6%) and 1-for-10 from 3).
A layup from Towns early in the fourth period extended the run to 65-25, and pushed the deficit to 90-63 with 11:10 left in the game. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff appeared to wave the white flag midway through the period, with rookie Ebuka Okorie, Taurean Prince and two-way forwards Isaac Jones and Elijah Harkless checking in.
But after trailing by 27, the Pistons used a 23-9 run to cut the deficit to 13. So the starters – Cunningham, Thompson, Robinson, and Reed – checked back in joining Prince. They whittled the score to 11 with under three minutes left, but the run came too late. A dagger 3-pointer from Josh Hart with 2:18 on the clock pushed the lead back to 14 and allowed the Knicks to clinch the win.
Thompson returns, but Pistons feel injury impact
The Pistons missed Duren and his gravity as a scorer. No player was able to pick up the offensive slack as the Knicks hounded Cunningham and the offense slowed to a crawl. They also missed Duren on the glass – they were out rebounded 49-45 and lost the offensive rebounding battle, 19-15.
Compounding the Pistons' issues was foul trouble. Reed picked up his fifth with 7:20 remaining in the third quarter, and Tolu Smith had four fouls in just six minutes of action.
An off night for Robinson was a major factor in the Pistons' struggles from the arc, as Robinson shot just 2-for-10 from 3. Joe hasn't shot the ball well to start the season, but the threat of his shot has been a positive for the offense and with Robinson going cold, they lacked the personnel to make up the difference.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons lose first game as rally falls short vs New York Knicks