NEW YORK: Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as the New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 111-97 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday for their first win.
Jalen Brunson added 23 points as the defending National Basketball Association (NBA) champions improved to 1-3. Detroit suffered its first defeat after winning its opening three games.
New York took control by outscoring the visitors 37-13 in the third quarter. That surge gave the Knicks an 88-63 lead entering the final period.
Brunson helped launch the decisive stretch after struggling before halftime. He made his first three-pointers in the third quarter as the Knicks opened the period with an 11-0 run.
Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges contributed 12 points and made four three-pointers, his first successful attempts from distance this season.
Towns delivered the strongest individual performance, combining scoring with board control. His contribution gave New York support beyond Brunson as the champions ended their winless start.
The Knicks had opened the campaign with defeats against the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic. Tuesday’s win kept them from a fourth straight loss before their trip to Chicago.
“Adversity started early, so we’ve just got to fight back,” Brunson said.
He also stressed the need to learn from victories and defeats, describing the season as a fresh challenge for the team.
For Detroit, Paul Reed scored 22 points and collected nine rebounds while starting in place of injured centre Jalen Duren. Cade Cunningham finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. New York now faces a Chicago side that has also lost three of its first four games.
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Two of the Bulls’ defeats have come by at least 35 points. Against Boston on Monday, Chicago committed 25 turnovers, trailed by as many as 40 points and never led.
The Bulls return home Wednesday to face the Knicks, who will play two games in a row. Detroit hosts the Charlotte Hornets that same evening.
(With additional input from The Associated Press and Field Level Media)
