New York — After dropping their first three games, the New York Knicks finally turned the tide on Tuesday night, defeating the Detroit Pistons 111-97. The win marked the team’s first triumph of the 2026-27 NBA season and sparked optimism that the squad could recapture the championship form they displayed last spring.
Early deficit overcome
New York fell behind by 13 points after the opening quarter, but the Knicks responded with a blistering 63-25 run over the next two quarters. The surge mirrored the dominant stretches that propelled the franchise to an NBA title in the previous season.
Coach Mike Brown said, “We had more good moments in this game in totality than we did the first three games and that’s why we got the win.” He added that the team’s physicality and energy were key factors in the turnaround.
Key performances
NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson broke out of an early slump, hitting three consecutive shots to start an 11-0 run that turned a one‑point halftime lead into a 62-50 advantage. Brunson finished with 23 points on 5‑for‑18 shooting and added seven assists.
Karl‑Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 27 points and 20 rebounds, while also noting, “I thought we did a great job, like I said, picking up the physicality, a lot of energy in the game, looking more like ourselves from last year. But we still have a lot of growing to do and tomorrow’s another day for us to test ourselves and get better.” Mikal Bridges contributed 12 points, improving his three‑point shooting to 4‑for‑8 after a slow start to the season.
Statistical context
Before the victory, the Knicks ranked last in the league with an average of 101.7 points per game and were also at the bottom in pace. Brown emphasized the need to increase tempo, stating that faster transition play created more scoring opportunities.
Historically, the Knicks opened the season with as many losses in three games as they had in 19 games during their 2023 playoff run, when they went 16‑3 and set a record for the largest point differential by a team in a postseason.
Looking ahead
The Knicks head to Chicago on Wednesday for the second game of a back‑to‑back series. Brown cautioned that the team will likely face hiccups throughout the long season but remains confident that the squad can peak in the playoffs, just as they did last year.
“So is it fixed? No, it ain’t fixed. Nothing’s really fixed,” Brown said. “What tonight shows us is we’re more than capable if we put our minds to it, and that’s what we’ve got to continue to try to build off.”
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
