Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 27 points and 20 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson scored 23 points as the New York Knicks defeated the previously undefeated Detroit Pistons 111-97 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, earning their first win of the 2026-27 season.
New York improved to 1-3 after opening its title defense with three consecutive losses to Philadelphia, Boston and Orlando. Another defeat would have left the Knicks facing the prospect of becoming only the second defending NBA champion to start a season 0-4, matching the 1969-70 Boston Celtics.
Brunson broke out of his early-season shooting slump with a decisive third quarter. He entered the game shooting 39% from the field and went 1-for-9 in the first half, but made his first three shots after halftime as New York opened the period with an 11-0 run. Mikal Bridges added a 3-pointer during the surge, pushing the Knicks ahead 62-50.
Towns then scored seven consecutive points for New York before the Knicks closed the quarter with a 12-2 run. Josh Hart’s 3-pointer at the buzzer capped the third-quarter outburst and gave the Knicks an 88-63 lead. New York outscored Detroit 37-13 in the period, turning a competitive game into a 25-point advantage.
Bridges finished with 12 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts, while Hart contributed six points, seven rebounds and four assists. OG Anunoby scored 13 points, and Landry Shamet added 13 off the bench. Andre Drummond recorded 10 points and eight rebounds in 14 minutes.
The Knicks shot 43.2% from the field and made 12 of 36 3-pointers. They also held a 49-45 rebounding advantage and recorded 28 assists.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Paul Reed posted 22 points and nine rebounds while starting in place of the injured Jalen Duren. Kevin Huerter scored seven points off the bench, and Daniss Jenkins added 11.
The Pistons host Charlotte on Wednesday, while the Knicks visit Chicago as they look to build on their first win of the season.
