NEW YORK — The hallmark of a good team is consistently beating the not-so good teams. After all the pump-faking they’ve done over the years, it’s too early to crown the Knicks a good team, but they sure looked like one in their 114-104 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
It’s a result that has been consistent over what could be the Knicks’ first winning season since 2013.
The Knicks (19-18), for the most part, have beaten the teams they’re supposed to beat. With the win over the Pistons (10-26) on Thursday night, the Knicks were 12-5 against teams firmly outside the playoff hunt, while establishing themselves as the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, virtually tied with the Boston Celtics (19-17) entering the All-Star break.
The Pistons did not pose the toughest challenge. They were without Blake Griffin, who was away from the team while negotiating his way out of Detroit, as well as emerging star Jerami Grant (left quad), rookie Killian Hayes (hip) and point guard Delon Wright (adductor).
The Knicks, though, had their own fair share of missing bodies: Derrick Rose missed his second straight game due to the league’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, and Taj Gibson (ankle) and Mitchell Robinson (hand) were out as well. The Knicks imposed their will on the Pistons anyway, dominating defensively and lighting it up for three quarters until things got murky in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks built a lead as big as 20 thanks largely to Julius Randle, the All-Star forward who recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone. They took a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter, a byproduct of an offense that moved the ball and found the open shooter or cutter, with every Knicks starter scoring in double figures on the night.
The Pistons, though, knocked on the door in the fourth quarter. They cut the lead down to 10 and could've cut it to eight had Randle not chased down Mason Plumlee for a block that led to a Knicks layup. The Pistons cut the lead down to nine with under three minutes to go in the fourth, but second-year guard RJ Barrett responded with a 3-pointer that put the team’s advantage back into double figures.
Dennis Smith Jr. played 26 minutes against the Knicks and scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field.
Randle flirted with a triple-double and finished with 27 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, bullying defenders on both ends of the floor like a watered-down version of Pelicans star Zion Williamson, minus 10 inches off his vertical leap. Barrett added 21 points and five assists, and Frank Ntilikina came off the bench and hit three 3s in his first three minutes, including one step-back shot that sent the limited but boisterous Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy.
Knicks fans should be frenetic over the product the organization has put on the floor. The Knicks finally look like a good team, and good teams handle business against lesser opponents.
