New York, NY — Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a dominant performance with 27 points and 20 rebounds, while the New York Knicks put together a decisive third-quarter surge to defeat the previously unbeaten Detroit Pistons 111-97 on Tuesday night.
The victory prevented New York from falling to 0-4 to begin its title defense, a start that would have placed the Knicks alongside the 1969-70 Boston Celtics as the only defending NBA champions to lose their first four games of the following season.
Jalen Brunson bounced back from a difficult start to the season, finishing with 23 points. Mikal Bridges added 12 points and provided an early spark from beyond the arc, knocking down his first four three-point attempts of the season.
After dropping their first three games against Philadelphia, Boston and Orlando, the Knicks needed a response. They delivered one with a third quarter that completely changed the game’s momentum.
New York outscored Detroit 37-13 in the period, turning a competitive contest into a comfortable lead. The Knicks opened the second half with an 11-0 run, taking a 62-50 advantage after Brunson converted his first three shots of the quarter and Bridges connected from three-point range.
Towns then took control offensively, scoring seven consecutive points for New York as the Knicks continued to pull away. A 12-2 run to close the quarter capped the dominant stretch, with Josh Hart’s three-pointer at the buzzer giving New York an 88-63 advantage heading into the fourth.
Detroit entered the matchup with a 3-0 record and plenty of confidence against New York. The Pistons had defeated the Knicks three times during the 2025-26 season by scores of 121-90, 118-80 and 126-111, and had won six consecutive regular-season meetings between the teams.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Paul Reed contributed 22 points and nine rebounds while starting in place of injured center Jalen Duren.
The Pistons were seeking their first 4-0 start since the 2018-19 season, but New York’s second-half execution ended that opportunity.
Brunson entered Tuesday shooting 39% from the field this season and struggled through the opening half, making just one of nine attempts. His third-quarter turnaround, however, helped ignite the Knicks at a critical moment.
For New York, the win offered an encouraging reminder of the team’s championship form from last spring. After an uneven opening week, the Knicks showed the defensive intensity and offensive firepower needed to get their season moving in the right direction.
Up Next
The Pistons return home Wednesday night to host Charlotte, while the Knicks travel to Chicago to face the Bulls.
