Knicks 124, Pistons 99: A broken record
On a night where the New York Knicks could do no wrong, they didn’t, routing the Detroit Pistons
It was just another Monday for the 12-59 Detroit Pistons as they rolled out their 32nd starting lineup this season. Meanwhile, the “next man up” saga continued for the 42-28 New York Knicks as OG Anunoby missed his third straight game, earning Miles McBride a fourth straight start. From the jump, the two teams played like their records were displayed across the front of their jerseys: New York a contender, Detroit one of the worst teams in the league.
As if foreshadowing what was to come, Donte DiVincenzo put the Knicks ahead early with a couple of quick buckets. All five starters had scored by the 7:00 mark of the first quarter, and the rest is history — or would become history, rather. DiVincenzo finished the night with 40 points and 11 threes, which set the single-game franchise record for New York and was more than Detroit made as a team. It was the latest feel-good win in a Knicks season that’s amassed countless and the latest debilitating loss for a Pistons team that looks to be crashing on autopilot.
11 thoughts for 11 made threes:
1 One record down, one to go
Donte DiVincenzo’s spectacular night puts him just nine threes shy of breaking Evan Fournier’s single-season franchise record . He’s got 12 games to do it, with this showing suggesting Stephen Curry-like odds he could reach the mark as soon as the next game Wednesday at the Toronto Raptors.
2 Starting shooting guard Miles McBride
He didn’t play 48 minutes, and he didn’t light it up from deep, but McBride set the tone early on defense and never let up. He had some moments on offense too, including a rare showcase of savviness from the 23-year old guard when he played an inbounds pass off of former teammate Malachi Flynn for an easy bucket. He continues to shine as a member of the Knicks’ starting five, and the team improved to 3-1 when startring him alongside Jalen Brunson.
3 Josh Hart is the new Mr. Triple Double
With 10 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, Josh Hart tallied his sixth triple-double of the season. Only four players have more: Domantas Sabonis (25), Nikola Jokić (22), Luka Dončić (18) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (8). New York improved to 5-1 when Hart puts one up. We’ll ignore the fact that he’s 2-of-24 from deep his last seven games for the sake of keeping morale high. Best of luck, JJ Redick.
4 Bojan Bogdanović get-right game?
Bojan Bogdanović has struggled with the Knicks. That’s no secret. Twitter refuses to tuck it under the rug. All of his averages are down and he’s been nothing close to the player he was with the Pistons. Monday offered an opportunity for him to see the ball go through the net a few times against a disorganized Detroit defense. He did so, but poorly, going 5-for-11 from the floor and just 2-of-7 from three. Bogdanović is 5-for-21 from deep the last seven games positions him comfortably atop the candidates for “DNP - coach’s decision” when/if this team is fully healthy.
5 Time is Precious, but will Precious get more time?
Just before tip-off, the MSG broadcast showcased Precious Achiuwa’s averages over his last 28 games: 10.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks. His presence is welcome today in an entirely different manner than it was when Julius Randle was originally injured. And while Thibs has yet to figure out how to play Achiuwa, the big man finished with nine points, 16 rebounds and a block and steal apiece. However it looks, whenever Randle returns, I hope the kid keeps getting minutes.
6 Quentin Grimes, where are you?
Knick fans quick to call the Bogdanović/Alec Burks trade a failure simultaneously fail to note what the opposing team gained in that transaction — likely because what they’ll find doesn’t fit with their agenda. For all the “Once a Knick, always a Knick” nostalgia and all his defensive tenacity, you can’t ignore that Grimes has appeared in just six of 16 possible games for the Pistons. Sometimes in NBA trades, neither team “wins.”
7 Playoffs on the horizon
Thanks to winning six of their last seven, the Knicks sit just half a game back of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the East’s third seed with 12 games to go.
8 Some advice for Monty Williams
Following a record-breaking night for DiVincenzo and New York, Monty Williams shot down the opportunity to exercise good sportsmanship., instead alluding to some bizarre notion that the Knicks made a cheap play for the record, telling reporters postgame: “Those guys, the way they got those threes. I don't want to be a part of that story." Josh Hart responded when prompted by reporters, which I’ll post below. But first, some advice for the Pistons coach: as much as some of us may remember that skeleton Detroit team that faced DiVincenzo in the first of his many, many record-breaking nights at MSG, you’ve added a bold font to your name in this chapter of that story by insinuating some sort of disingenuity in his performance. Better luck (and attitude) next time.
9 Jalen Brunson goes turnover-less for a ninth time
Yes, I waited nine bullets to talk about the team’s best player. Sue me. A guy like Brunson is always needed, but New York didn’t rely on their point guard in this one. He had a few scoring spurts where he exercised those superstar muscles, and finished with 28 points and six assists in just (yes, just) 30 minutes of play. It’s the ninth game this season where Brunson didn’t record any turnovers; the Knicks play like the best team in the league when he doesn’t, now 8-1 on the year. (Ed. note: they’re also 38-3 in games they go up 10 points and have 12 wire-to-wire wins. The Pistons have 12 wins total.)
10 Big Ragu indeed
If you’re on social media, it’s nearly impossible to ignore the “Big Ragu” nickname DiVincenzo’s held since Villanova. It originated from an NCAA Tournament performance but today may mean something different altogether. “Ragu” is a sauce that goes over pasta — not an accessory, but a necessity in a finished product. New York signed DiVincenzo to the mid-level exception last summer, a salary rarely equated with game-changing pickups. Fast forward six or seven months and the guard is top-three in 3-pointers made, making less annually than James Wiseman, Talen-Horton Tucker, etc. It’s taken DiVincenzo less than a calendar year to go from accessory signing to integral part of the Knicks’ identity — and their history books. Paging all pessimists: has Leon Rose made a mistake yet?!