NBA
Towns Delivers 27 Points, 20 Rebounds as Knicks Hand Pistons First Loss
New York recovered from an early deficit to beat Detroit 111–97, earning its first victory behind Towns’ 27 points and 20 rebounds.
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 27 points and 20 rebounds as the New York Knicks earned their first victory of the season, defeating the Detroit Pistons 111–97 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. The result ended New York’s 0–3 start and handed Detroit its first defeat.
The Knicks had to reverse the direction of the game before they could change their record. Detroit scored 38 points in the opening quarter and built a 13-point lead, according to the NBC Sports game report. New York’s defense then limited the Pistons to 12 points in the second quarter, allowing the hosts to move ahead 51–50 at halftime.
That swing meant the Knicks outscored Detroit by 14 in the second period after struggling to contain the visitors’ early pace. The final margin was also 14 points, underlining how important the response before halftime became to the eventual outcome.
Towns’ rebounding gave New York another foundation while his scoring led the offense. Sportsnet’s summary credited Jalen Brunson with 23 points and seven assists alongside Towns’ 27-point, 20-rebound effort. Those combined contributions helped the Knicks withstand Detroit’s fast start without needing the game to become an uninterrupted shooting contest.
For New York, the win also changed the immediate context around its opening week. The defending champions had lost to Philadelphia, Orlando and Boston before facing an unbeaten Detroit team. One victory does not settle the larger questions of consistency, but it stops that sequence of defeats and gives the Knicks a result to build on.
Detroit’s first loss leaves both sides with another early test of how quickly they can respond. The Pistons’ strong opening quarter showed why they entered unbeaten, while the second-quarter scoring drought demonstrated the cost of losing control for one extended stretch.
The official NBA game page records the 111–97 final. The meaningful shift was clear: Towns’ production and a defensive turnaround gave New York its first win, while Detroit’s perfect start came to an end.
