The New York Knicks (17–24) beat the Detroit Pistons (14–26) 99–91 on Monday afternoon at MSG to square their home-and-home series after losing on Saturday in Detroit.
The game marked the 11th consecutive year that the Knicks played on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The diminutive Nate Robinson was the player of the game, scoring 27 points and helping run the Knicks offense after being out of the team’s rotation for over a month.
Robinson—who was just informed earlier in the day that he would be defending his Sprite Slam Dunk championship during the NBA All-Star weekend in February—was 5–9 at the 3-point line and shot 11–18 overall from the field.
“He gives us something that we need and that’s athleticism,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said after the game. “I thought he played well.”
The Knicks got off to a slow start, going 0–5 from the field until forward Jared Jeffries hit a foul shot three and a half minutes into the game.
But David Lee and Danilo Gallinari got the offense moving by the six minute mark, with the Knicks going on a 12–0 run to take the lead.
Lee was strong on the boards with five rebounds in the early going but had to sit after picking up his second foul. Lee finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
In the second quarter, Robinson began to light things up from 3-point land. He went 3–5 for the quarter and electrified the crowd.
At the one-minute mark, Robinson landed an explosive dunk off a Chris Duhon assist—perhaps a preview of things to come in February. Duhon had five assists but failed to break his lengthy scoring slump.
The Knicks played excellent defense and extended their lead to 14 points to close the half 57–43.
“We locked in on playing good defense and sharing the ball and having fun,” Robinson said at the half.
“Coach told me to be aggressive and play my game. The shots have been there and guys have been finding me and we’re playing together.”
The Pistons came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter, with Ben Wallace dominating inside the perimeter and giving the Pistons the lead temporarily. Wallace finished the game with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey was the leading scorer for the visitors with 22 points.
The problem for the Knicks came down to defensive rebounding and turnovers—a reverse of the first half.
That began to change in the fourth quarter, with an aggressive Knicks defense forcing Pistons turnovers.
Robinson opened the final quarter with an acrobatic layup to tie the score at 70. Gallinari stepped up his outside shooting as well as using his ability to drive to the basket.
The Pistons were still a threat down the stretch, but that ended at the two-minute mark when Lee made a strong drive to the paint for a basket and the foul shot for a three-point play.
Monday’s game was the 41st for the Knicks and the midpoint of their season. Last year at this time the Knicks were also 17–24. Though it’s not a record to be proud of, it’s not bad considering the team’s 3–14 start.
The game marked the 11th consecutive year that the Knicks played on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The diminutive Nate Robinson was the player of the game, scoring 27 points and helping run the Knicks offense after being out of the team’s rotation for over a month.
Robinson—who was just informed earlier in the day that he would be defending his Sprite Slam Dunk championship during the NBA All-Star weekend in February—was 5–9 at the 3-point line and shot 11–18 overall from the field.
“He gives us something that we need and that’s athleticism,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said after the game. “I thought he played well.”
The Knicks got off to a slow start, going 0–5 from the field until forward Jared Jeffries hit a foul shot three and a half minutes into the game.
But David Lee and Danilo Gallinari got the offense moving by the six minute mark, with the Knicks going on a 12–0 run to take the lead.
Lee was strong on the boards with five rebounds in the early going but had to sit after picking up his second foul. Lee finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
In the second quarter, Robinson began to light things up from 3-point land. He went 3–5 for the quarter and electrified the crowd.
At the one-minute mark, Robinson landed an explosive dunk off a Chris Duhon assist—perhaps a preview of things to come in February. Duhon had five assists but failed to break his lengthy scoring slump.
The Knicks played excellent defense and extended their lead to 14 points to close the half 57–43.
“We locked in on playing good defense and sharing the ball and having fun,” Robinson said at the half.
“Coach told me to be aggressive and play my game. The shots have been there and guys have been finding me and we’re playing together.”
Second Half Challenge
The Pistons came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter, with Ben Wallace dominating inside the perimeter and giving the Pistons the lead temporarily. Wallace finished the game with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey was the leading scorer for the visitors with 22 points.
The problem for the Knicks came down to defensive rebounding and turnovers—a reverse of the first half.
That began to change in the fourth quarter, with an aggressive Knicks defense forcing Pistons turnovers.
Robinson opened the final quarter with an acrobatic layup to tie the score at 70. Gallinari stepped up his outside shooting as well as using his ability to drive to the basket.
The Pistons were still a threat down the stretch, but that ended at the two-minute mark when Lee made a strong drive to the paint for a basket and the foul shot for a three-point play.
Monday’s game was the 41st for the Knicks and the midpoint of their season. Last year at this time the Knicks were also 17–24. Though it’s not a record to be proud of, it’s not bad considering the team’s 3–14 start.
