Another great success for the Pistons, who confirmed their current good form by securing victory on the Knicks floor! At the start and finish of this match, which was undecided until the end, it was Malik Beasley who was the perfect lieutenant for Cade Cunningham, author of 36 points to respond to the 31 units of his New York counterpart Jalen Brunson.
At the start, Malik Beasley was there by calming down Madison Square Garden for the first time when he made a 4/4 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter to allow the Pistons to take the lead (26-37 ). The New Yorkers' response was quick with a 16-2 to start the second quarter, and this time Cameron Payne and Mikal Bridges in the role of gunners (42-39).
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns took over to keep the locals in the lead at the break, and all of Madison Square Garden was breathing easier despite a little alert on KAT's thumb after a missed dunk (63-59).
The Knicks chase the score
In “back-to-back” after having crushed Milwaukee the day before, New York then struggled to find its second wind, and this time, it was Detroit which took advantage, carried by Cade Cunningham in great form, notably scoring his team's first 10 points after returning from the locker room! The leader then concluded a 10-0 with a dunk in transition to place the Knicks with their backs to the wall (74-80).
Tom Thibodeau's men then chased the score and never managed to make the Detroit collective flinch, who managed to remain solid until the end, notably with Marcus Sasser at 3-points and Jalen Duren with the dunk to place the Michigan franchise in the best shape five minutes from the end (105-112). On the verge of breaking, New York benefited from a generous “no-call” to allow OG Anunoby to finish with a tap on the counter-attack. It was then Jalen Brunson who gave everything to keep his team alive, between his 7 points and his two assists for Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges at 3-points (117-118).
But in the end, it was Malik Beasley who stood out by hitting two 3-point baskets on the wing on two passes from Tim Hardaway Jr to overcome the Knicks. His second arrow hit the target 6 seconds from the end, forcing NYC to lay down their arms for one more short but precious success (119-124).
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– The dance of Malik Beasley. The shooting guard had already distinguished himself by passing a 4/5 from distance two days earlier against Toronto. This time he shone with a magnificent 6/8, completely air conditioning Madison Square Garden six seconds from the end, which was well worth a little improvised dance…
– KAT’s sharp shoulders. This is the first turning point at the end of the match before Malik Beasley's two brilliant shots. The Knicks indeed had an opportunity to go ahead at 117-118 but were unable to take a shot… because of an offensive foul by Karl-Anthony Towns! The Dominican interior simply set a screen that was a little too strong in which Ausar Thompson was embedded, pushing the referees to give the ball back to Detroit. Malik Beasley did the rest.
– Scent of revenge. At the start of the season, the Knicks had the luxury of crushing Detroit on their floor by winning by 30 points (98-128). The Pistons have since taken their revenge since they signed their second victory in a row last night at Madison Square Garden! Before winning 124-119, JB Bickerstaff's men came to win 120-111 at MSG a little over a month ago. That evening, the winning tandem was already called Cade Cunningham (29 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) and Malik Beasley (23 points at 7/10 at 3-points!). This promises to be a reunion next April, just before the playoffs.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
