The New York Knicks registered their first victory of the 2026-27 NBA season after defeating the Detroit Pistons 111-97 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a double-double with 27 points and 20 rebounds as the defending champions ended Detroit’s unbeaten start to the campaign.
The victory improved New York’s record to 1-3, while Detroit suffered its first defeat of the season after winning its opening three games. The Knicks had entered the contest following defeats against the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.
The result also prevented the from becoming the second defending champion to begin a season with four consecutive defeats. The 1969-70 Boston Celtics remain the only defending champions to have suffered a 0-4 win-loss start.
Towns was instrumental in New York’s victory, finishing with 27 points and 20 rebounds. His contribution on both ends of the court helped the Knicks recover from an early deficit and establish control during the middle stages of the contest.
Jalen Brunson added 23 points and seven assists, recovering from a difficult first half to contribute significantly after the interval. The Knicks captain had entered the game shooting 39% from the field across his first three appearances of the season.
Mikal Bridges contributed 12 points and made his first four three-point attempts of the campaign. OG Anunoby and reserve guard Landry Shamet also scored 13 points apiece.
Andre Drummond finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, while Josh Hart made an important three-pointer at the end of the third quarter.
Detroit started the contest strongly and established a 38-25 advantage by the end of the opening quarter. Paul Reed scored 13 points in the first period, while Cade Cunningham contributed nine points and six assists.
However, the struggled to maintain their offensive momentum in the second quarter. They managed just 12 points, allowing New York to gradually erase the deficit and take a narrow 51-50 lead into halftime.
The Knicks continued their scoring run after the break, opening the third quarter with an 11-0 burst. Brunson converted his first three field-goal attempts of the second half, while Bridges also connected from beyond the arc.
New York outscored Detroit 37-13 in the third quarter to take an 88-63 advantage into the final period. Towns scored seven consecutive points during the quarter, while Hart’s three-pointer at the buzzer extended the lead.
Detroit attempted a late comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring New York 34-23. However, the deficit proved too substantial to overcome, as the Knicks secured a 14-point victory.
Cunningham finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Detroit. Reed, who started in place of the injured Jalen Duren, was the Pistons’ leading scorer with 22 points and nine rebounds.
The defeat ended Detroit’s pursuit of a 4-0 start, something the franchise had last achieved in the 2018-19 season.
The Pistons will next host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, while the Knicks travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on the same day.
