NEW YORK (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 20 rebounds, and the New York Knicks avoided what would have been the second 0-4 start by a defending champion in NBA history by beating the previously undefeated Detroit Pistons 111-97 on Tuesday night.
Jalen Brunson shook free of his shooting struggles in a dominant third quarter that resembled the Knicks of last spring, not the team whose three losses in three games were as many as they had in 19
games during last season's run to the title.
Brunson finished with 23 points and Mikal Bridges made his first four 3-pointers of the season and scored 12 in the Knicks' first victory since Game 5 of the NBA Finals. New York then fell to Philadelphia, Boston and Orlando, and another loss would have matched the 1969-70 Boston Celtics for the most to start a season after winning a title.
But the Knicks blew open the game by outscoring the Pistons 37-13 in the third quarter to open a 25-point cushion against the team who handled them better than anyone else last season.
Cade Cunningham had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the 3-1 Pistons. Detroit beat New York by scores of 121-90, 118-80 and 126-111 in 2025-26, and had won the last six meetings in the regular season.
Paul Reed had 22 points and nine rebounds starting in place of injured center Jalen Duren for the Pistons, who were seeking their first 4-0 start since 2018-19.
Brunson came in shooting 39% for the season and was 1 for 9 in the first half, but hit his first three shots and Bridges made a 3-pointer as part of an 11-0 opening to the third quarter to make it 62-50. Towns scored seven straight Knicks points later in the period, and a 12-2 surge to finish it made it 88-63 on Josh Hart's 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Pistons: Host Charlotte on Wednesday night.
Knicks: Visit Chicago on Wednesday night.
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