moranelkarifnews : Knicks’ slow start, turnovers prove costly in 124-119 loss to Pistons

The Knicks looked slow from the tip-off and couldn’t keep up with the Detroit Pistons in a back-and-forth battle, losing 124-119 on Monday night.

Here are the takeaways…

— New York got out to a sloppy start, missing five of their first seven shots and turning the ball over three times by the 6:50 mark in the first quarter. Shooting struggles and turnovers continued to be an issue throughout the first quarter, as the Knicks went just 7-for-17 from the field (41.2 percent) and 2-for-6 from three with six turnovers. Detroit built a 37-26 lead thanks to Malik Beasley‘s four three-pointers off the bench. Most of the Knicks’ scoring came from the foul line, going 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.

— Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with nine points early on, but the big man appeared to injure his right thumb on a dunk attempt. Towns stayed in the game to shoot the free throws, making both, and continued to play. He later got tape on his shooting hand, but it appeared to be bothersome all night.

— Veteran Cam Payne ignited the Madison Square Garden crowd with two three-pointers to open the second quarter, cutting the Detroit lead to one point. Mikal Bridges gave the Knicks a 42-39 lead, making all three free throws after being fouled by Cade Cunningham. The Knicks continued to push the pace, and their lead grew to six after a Towns reverse jam and Jalen Brunson‘s three-pointer, his first of the night. Brunson kept it going and converted an and-one layup, drawing a fourth foul on Cunningham with a minute left in the half.

— New York outscored Detroit 37-22 in the second quarter to overcome their early deficit and take a 63-59 lead at halftime. Tom Thibodeau‘s team cut down on the turnovers with just four in the second quarter. Brunson (17) and Towns (16) did most of the scoring, while Josh Hart grabbed 11 first-half rebounds.

— Cunningham only had seven points in the first half but started hot in the third with 11 quick points while playing with four fouls to bring Detroit within one point. The former No. 1 overall pick continued to score, giving the Pistons a lead, but KAT came right back with a three and an inside basket of his own. The Knicks transition defense began to fall apart trying to keep up with the young Pistons, who built a nine-point lead before an OG Anunoby dunk and Bridges three cut into it. Detroit led 95-90 after three, outscoring New York 36-27 in the third quarter thanks to Cunningham’s 18-point outburst.

— Bridges’ hot hand continued into the fourth quarter, hitting his fifth three-pointer of the game to keep it close. Brunson cut the Pistons’ lead to two, but Marcus Sasser nailed a three-pointer and then found Jalen Duren down low for a dunk. Brunson later got Duren to foul out on a spinning jumper for a three-point play, as they trailed 112-110. Brunson and Cunningham traded baskets and the back-and-forth drama intensified.

— Another Bridges’ three brought the Knicks to within one, but then a costly turnover on Towns for an offensive foul on a moving screen. Overall, the Knicks turned the ball over 16 times, leading to 18 points for the Pistons. Back-to-back threes from Beasley (who finished with 22 points and six three-pointers) iced the game to give Detroit their second win at The Garden this season.

— Brunson finished with 31 points and 11 assists but shot just 50 percent from the field and was 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. Towns had 26 points and 12 rebounds while dealing with a nagging thumb injury for most of the game. Bridges made six three-pointers on eight attempts and finished with 27 points of his own.

Game MVP: Cade Cunningham

The 23-year-old put on a show, finishing with 36 points on 14-for-27 shooting with four three-pointers, four rebounds, and two assists. His 18-point third quarter set the tone for the Pistons in the second half.

Highlights

What’s next

After five straight home games, the Knicks (26-15) will head to Philadelphia to face the 76ers (15-22) on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.