RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball up the court during the third quarter of the game against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on October 21, 2022 in New York City. Dustin Satloff/Getty Images/AFP
RJ Barrett had a season-high 30 points and the New York Knicks defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons 121-112 on Friday night.
Jalen Brunson supplied 26 points, seven assists and four steals as the Knicks bounced back from a poor outing against Brooklyn on Wednesday. Julius Randle contributed 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Bojan Bogdanovic led eight Pistons in double figures with 25 points. Alec Burks, making his season and Pistons debut, tossed in 17 points off the bench. Burks was traded by the Knicks in a draft-night deal.
Hamidou Diallo and Isaiah Stewart had 13 points apiece, while Isaiah Livers, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes each added 11 points. Jaden Ivey posted 10.
Pistons leading scorer Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 19.9 points per game, sat out due to left shin soreness.
The Knicks led 30-26 after the first quarter and established a double-digit advantage at 39-29 on Obi Toppin’s 3-pointer. Quentin Grimes’ 3-pointer with 4:31 left in the half increased New York’s lead to 58-42.
Sticking together 🤝
RJ 30 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST
JB 26 PTS | 7 AST | 4 STL
Ju 21 PTS | 8 REB | 5 AST pic.twitter.com/nDmuU2TAUn
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 12, 2022
Detroit had an 11-6 spurt to finish the half but still trailed by 10, 68-58. Barrett carried the Knicks with 20 points, while Bogdanovic had 15 by the break.
New York stretched its lead to 17 early in the third quarter with an 11-2 run. Brunson had five points and an assist during that span.
The Knicks maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the quarter and headed into the fourth with a 94-80 lead.
Detroit scored two baskets in the first minute of the quarter to make it a 10-point game. Diallo scored on a runner with 9:38 left to bring the Pistons within seven points. Livers’ 3-pointer with 7:02 to go cut the Knicks’ lead to 101-95.
Randle’s putback with four minutes left made it 107-97.
Stewart hit a corner 3-pointer with 2:37 remaining to cut New York’s lead to six, and Bogdanovic made a jump shot and knocked down two free throws to trim it to 114-110 with 1:20 left.
Immanuel Quickley’s corner 3-pointer in the final minute sealed the Knicks’ victory.