Knicks' shooting fails them as Pistons end win streak at 3
Pistons guard Reggie Jackson, Knicks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and Pistons forward Blake Griffin reach for a rebound during a game Tuesday in Detroit. Credit: AP/Carlos Osorio
DETROIT — The Knicks’ team bus ran into some bad traffic on the way to Little Caesars Arena Tuesday night and ended up arriving a half hour later than planned.
The night went downhill from there as the Knicks ran into a physical Pistons team that left the Knicks offense feeling gridlocked and handed them a 115-108 loss.
The defeat served as a dose of reality for a young Knicks team that entered the game on a three-game win streak, their longest of the season.
“Credit to their defense. They really competed hard, especially on the ball,” Knicks coach David Fizdale said. “They made it tough on us. I thought when we did get open shots, we didn’t shoot it well.”
The Knicks (7-15) made just 39.6 percent of their shots (36-for-91) with some of the players they count on for offense struggling the most. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 19 points but went 5-for-15, including 2-for-7 from three-point range. Emmanuel Mudiay, who has been hot lately, was held to nine points on 4-for-13 shooting. Trey Burke was held to eight points on 1-for-8 shooting.
“I think we missed a lot of easy lay-ins, a lot of easy shots we usually make, threes we normally take and go in just weren’t falling today,” Hardaway said. “You have to credit them for pushing the pace, getting to the free-throw line and getting making it a physical-type game.”
The Knicks had three players – Mario Hezonja, Noah Vonleh and Mitchell Robinson – foul out of the game.
Allonzo Trier led the Knicks with 24 points on 7-for-11 shooting in 31 minutes off the bench. Enes Kanter was the only other Knick beside Trier and Dotson to make 50 percent of his shots. Kanter finished with 16 points on 8-for-16 shooting and 14 rebounds.
The Pistons (11-7) were led by Blake Griffin’s 30 points, while Reggie Jackson and Stanley Johnson each added 21.
Coach David Fizdale said he was trying to keep his team on an even keel entering the game and not concentrating too much on wins and losses.
“You try not to get seduced by our success,” Fizdale said of the attitude he wanted his team to have as they carried the three-game win streak into the game. “So, I’m just keeping them on that track right now.”
The Knicks entered the game only three games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While Fizdale has insisted that this season is about developing young players, it’s clear that after winning three in a row some of the players wouldn’t mind aiming a little higher.
“It’s on everybody’s mind. It’s the goal to make the playoffs,” Kanter said at the team’s morning shootaround. “Right now the most [important] thing to do is to stay together, and win or lose, just get better, one person, every day. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Hardaway said the team is trying to balance looking to the future with the hope that they can do some things this season.
“Our focus is building this team and setting a foundation for the future, but also knowing we’re a good, talented team,” he said before the game. “Our talent, it doesn’t really show in our record. We feel we’re a better team. We’re learning and building and getting this young group to close out games.”
Notes & quotes: Courtney Lee is getting closer to coming back from the neck injury that has sidelined him all season. “He’s getting better,” Fizdale said, adding that Lee has played some three-on-three with contact. “He’s getting healthy. Right now we have to wait and see what the medical people say. He’s day-to-day.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
