NEW YORK, N.Y. – The New York Knicks picked up their first win of the season Wednesday night, defeating the Detroit Pistons 109-97 at Madison Square Garden. After three inconsistent performances, New York delivered its strongest effort yet, using a dominant defensive stretch to turn a one-point halftime deficit into a comfortable victory.
Detroit entered the matchup with a 3-0 record after beating several prominent Eastern Conference teams. The Pistons had also swept the Knicks in last season’s regular-season series, but New York ultimately went on to capture the NBA championship.
The Knicks had struggled to find their offensive rhythm and maintain defensive intensity through their first three games. Following the loss to Orlando, head coach Mike Brown described the team as looking “stuck in mud.” Against Detroit, New York finally showed signs of getting back to its identity.
Defensive Intensity Sparks the Comeback
Detroit controlled the first quarter, taking advantage of New York’s defensive lapses and second-chance opportunities to build a 38-25 lead. Paul Reed led the way with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while the Knicks struggled to find consistent offense.
New York responded in the second quarter, tightening its defense and holding the Pistons to just 12 points. Mikal Bridges provided a much-needed spark from beyond the arc, knocking down three first-half three-pointers as the Knicks erased the deficit and took a 51-50 lead into halftime.
Brown also challenged Karl-Anthony Towns at halftime to be more physical after Reed’s strong start, emphasizing the need to limit second-chance points.
“I just told him the truth,” Brown said. “The guy is killing us on the glass, and when he gets a rebound, he’s putting it back.”
Towns answered the challenge in the second half. New York continued to force turnovers and attack the paint, while Reed’s fifth foul midway through the third quarter created more opportunities for the Knicks to take advantage inside.
The turning point came in the third, when New York outscored Detroit 37-13. Towns controlled the interior, Bridges continued to knock down shots, and Josh Hart capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Knicks an 88-63 advantage.
Detroit made a late push in the fourth cutting the lead to 13, but Jalen Brunson answered with a pull-up midrange jumper to help secure the 109-97 win.
Towns Dominates as Bridges Finds His Rhythm
Towns finished with 27 points, 20 rebounds and three assists, delivering the physical presence Brown wanted to see. Brunson added 23 points and seven assists to continue to lead the Knicks offensively.
Bridges finished with 12 points, shooting 4-of-8 from three-point range. After struggling to find his shot early in the season, his performance offered an encouraging sign for a team looking for more consistent perimeter scoring.
Hart contributed five steals and played a key role in limiting Duncan Robinson to just 2-of-10 shooting. After allowing too many open three-pointers against Orlando, New York did a much better job disrupting Detroit’s perimeter offense.
Kolek also continued to show promise in his expanded role with Jose Alvarado sidelined. His playmaking and defensive activity gave the second unit a boost as the Knicks began to find their flow.
Following the win, Brown credited his team’s improved physicality and more consistent effort on both ends of the floor.
“We talk about trying to string a game together, close to 48 minutes of basketball, the way we know how to play and we like to play,” Brown said. “We had more good moments in this game in totality than we did in the first three games, and that’s why we got the win.”
Brown also highlighted the defensive adjustment that helped limit Detroit to just 25 combined points in the second and third quarters.
“If you react to them offensively, you’re going to get hit with a screen and you’re going to be two steps behind,” Brown explained. He praised his players for becoming more physical and dictating the action rather than reacting to Detroit’s movement.
Questions remain about the rotation beyond the starting five. The Knicks have a lot of different pieces that they can use on different nights depending on the matchup of their opponent and what they are looking to attack
For the Knicks, the win was an important first step toward establishing the consistency they have lacked early in the season. Their defensive effort finally translated into offense, and Towns’ dominant performance helped them take control when it mattered most.
New York returns to action Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls, looking to carry that momentum into the second game of a back-to-back and build on its most complete performance of the season.
