Knicks, minus Kristaps Porzingis, thrash Pistons
Robin Lopez of the Knicks shoots over Detroit's Andre Drummond on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Jim McIsaac
We can work with this.
That was Kurt Rambis’ message to the Knicks before Saturday night’s game — that their one-point loss to the Celtics on Friday night was something they could build on. They played well for most of that game, he said, and they showed spirit for one of the few times in a fully dispiriting month and a half.
It sounded like coach-speak of the highest order, but it also ended up being true. The Knicks drubbed the Pistons, 102-89, at the Garden for their fourth victory in the last 20 games.
“I thought we bought in on both ends and I think we carried the momentum that we had Friday night, the energy, the focus level that we had Friday night, we carried into today’s game,” said Carmelo Anthony (24 points, 10 rebounds, six assists). “Guys responded well, especially after the loss we had last night . . . Guys came to play tonight.”
Despite playing without Kristaps Porzingis, who suffered a lower left leg contusion during the game against the Celtics, the Knicks (26-38) produced one of their most complete games in recent weeks.
“We should all be disappointed. It was ridiculous,” said Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy, whose team shot 39 percent. “We were just terrible. We didn’t bring any energy to the game. We didn’t play well at either end. It was an embarrassing performance.”
Robin Lopez had 21 points and nine rebounds and Arron Afflalo added 20 points for the Knicks. Said Van Gundy, “They dominate us. We can’t play Arron Afflalo and Carmelo Anthony. We have nobody to play those two guys. And Robin Lopez is always great against Andre [Drummond]. Always.”
Drummond led the Pistons with 21 points and 16 rebounds and Tobias Harris added 18 points and eight rebounds.
The hangover from the Celtics game hadn’t really cleared, but in this case, it was a motivator.
“When you play a team like Boston, we had that game won,” Derrick Williams said. “A lot of these games that we’re losing, it’s not that the other team is beating us. We’re beating ourselves with turnovers and giving them second-chance points. Drummond, he’s a big part of their second-chance points. We really wanted to battle him. ”
Witih Afflalo scoring 15 points and Lopez adding 12 in the first half as the Knicks built a 57-42 lead — helped by a 35-point second quarter — Anthony got plenty of help, and that “makes it easier and it helps me step away from it and approach the game from a different perspective,” he said. “Guys like Arron got it going early. Robin Lopez got it going. When we push it in space and get it going in transition, it makes it easier for me.”
After falling behind by 16 points in the third quarter, the Pistons drew within 81-77 on Reggie Bullock’s three-pointer with 9:51 to play, but the Knicks showed a fortitude that often has been missing since they began their swoon in late January. They responded with a 21-4 run that produced a 21-point lead.
Fortunately, Afflalo said, “we had that large of a lead, but we have to do a much better job of sustaining our effort on both sides of the court.”
The most important thing “was just keeping our composure,” he said. “We haven’t been doing that recently. I think the wins will come if we play that way.”
With Mark Herrmann
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
