DETROIT — Julius Randle had 42 points and 15 rebounds as the New York Knicks extended their winning streak against the Detroit Pistons to 11 games with a 117-104 victory.
Randle, who put up the first 40/15 game for the Knicks since Patrick Ewing on Jan. 19, 1996, averaged 28.5 points in four games against the Pistons this year.
“I´m not sure it has anything to with Detroit,” he said according to AP. “I feel like I can get my shot away against any team.”
Detroit hasn’t beat the Knicks since Nov. 6, 2019, the end of its eight-game winning streak over them.
Jalen Brunson added 27 points for the Knicks and drew three charges, putting him into a three-tie with Kevin Love and Kenrich Williams for first place in the league.
“If he´s tied for first, it is good, because now he has something to work toward,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “That says to me that you are sacrificing yourself for the team – sometimes it is taking a charge, setting a screen or being the first player on the floor. That all goes into winning.”
Jaden Ivey had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Pistons and Saddiq Bey added 21 points.
“We battled the whole game, but we should have started better,” Ivey said. “We got back into the game, but we wish we could have some of those late-game possessions back.”
Isaiah Livers moved into Detroit’s starting lineup and scored 11 points in 39 minutes, but the focus was on his defense.
“He sets the tone for us,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “He did a good job getting into the ball. Brunson had 27, but he had to work for them because of Isaiah’s size and length.”
New York led by seven at half-time and increased the margin to 90-80 on Randle’s buzzer-beating tip at the end of the third.
The Knicks started the fourth with a 10-2 run, including five from Quickley to go up 100-82 with 9:43 left.
Detroit cut the deficit to 105-98 on Livers’ 3-pointer, but the game was delayed for several minutes by a malfunctioning shot clock. Randle’s 3-pointer put the margin back to double figures, and he answered Bey’s basket with one of his own.
Randle helped the Knicks clinch the game from the line.
“We’re trying to build ourselves as a team so, when the playoffs happen, we’re ready for it,” he said.
The Knicks led by as many as 20 in the first half, taking advantage of Isaiah Stewart’s foul trouble, but Bey and Kevin Knox II helped Detroit cut the deficit to 62-55 at half-time.
