The Pistons devour the Knicks: Crisis in New York?

The New York Knicks arrived in Detroit with the expectation of a high-level duel between two of the best teams in the East, but they left bruised and full of doubts after a resounding defeat. The conference-leading Pistons crushed the Knicks 121-90 on Monday night at the Little Caesars Arena, in a very different replay of the intense first-round series both teams contested last spring. Cade Cunningham, sublime.

New York's performance raised alarms. Team leader Jalen Brunson was brief in his words after the game, while Karl-Anthony Towns made it clear that he is struggling the most with the adjustment to the new coaching staff. "There are many things that need to be corrected," Brunson stated without going into specifics. When asked if the team had spoken before meeting the media, he acknowledged they had. "We have to respond. There is a lot more to say, but we keep it in. If we want to be the team we say we want to be, we have to be better, plain and simple."

Knicks' Crisis?

Brunson ended up as the top scorer for the Knicks with 25 points, but had a very uneven game in terms of direction, with no assists and six turnovers, the same as Towns, out of a total of 20 team turnovers. The center played only 23 minutes, finished with a -27 and was clear about his role. "As coach Mike said, I'm the big sacrifice," he explained. "It's normal to go through a rough patch during the season, things happen. But this is a bad moment, very bad. You can't be this bad."

The defeat marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Knicks, something that didn't happen to them all of last season, when their worst streak was three. Their record is now 23-13, very similar to the same point last season, but the stumble allowed the Boston Celtics to surpass them in the standings and take the second spot in the East.

One of the most evident problems has been the defense. The absence of Josh Hart has had a significant impact, with the team going from mid-table in that area to conceding very high figures. The Philadelphia 76ers scored 130 points on Saturday, and the San Antonio Spurs reached 134 on New Year's Eve. Against Detroit, coach Mike Brown's diagnosis was clear. "It's quite simple: they overpowered us physically," he admitted.

Brown rejected any excuses related to the schedule, even though it was the Knicks' third game in four nights. Detroit had played on Sunday in Cleveland and also faced the game without two starters, Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, and the backup Caris LeVert. "Right now, everything is on the table defensively," the coach pointed out. "We have to solve it, bring more physicality, but as a coaching staff, we must also continue to find ways to help the group."

The coach emphasized that "it's not time to panic," although the context adds pressure. Hours before the game, owner James Dolan had stated on a New York radio station that his expectation is for the Knicks to reach the NBA Finals. In Detroit, the team was far from looking like a contender at that level.

Cunningham, masterful

The Pistons dominated the boards 44-30 and shot over 50% both from the field and beyond the arc. Cade Cunningham delivered one of his most complete performances of the season with 29 points, 13 assists, three rebounds, and two blocks, receiving "MVP" chants from the local crowd on several occasions.

From the bench, Miles McBride summed up the feelings of the visiting locker room. "We have to come together," he stated. "I don't know if it's a matter of effort, more effort, or systems. We have to be on the same page defensively. Coaches can draw up whatever they want, but as a team, we have to solve it and rely on our leaders."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Pistons se comen a los Knicks: ¿crisis en Nueva York?