The Knicks bounced back nicely from an ugly trip to Texas over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points, while the bench combined to score 57 in a 121-100 rout of the Pistons yesterday afternoon. New York never trailed after Jason Kidd hit a 3-pointer to make it 21-18 in the first quarter.
The Knicks (9-3) were embarrassed in their first meeting with Jeremy Lin and the Rockets the day after Thanksgiving thanks to an awful defensive performance. Things weren’t much better against the Pistons, but the Knicks did force 20 turnovers to even out Detroit shooting 47 percent from the field.
The team got a spark from Rasheed Wallace, who returned to the lineup after missing the game in Houston. Wallace finished the game with 15 points, before fouling out for the first time as a Knick.
Anthony scored all 29 of his points in the first three quarters, as the Knicks took a 14-point lead into the fourth. Detroit never got closer than double digits in the final quarter.
Steve Novak was the second-leading scorer for New York, with 18 points off the bench, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. J.R. Smith had 15 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double since March 21, 2011 with the Nuggets.
Brandon Knight led the Pistons with 21 points, while former UConn star Charlie Villanueva had 17 points off the bench. Fellow Husky, rookie Andre Drummond, had 11 rebounds.
Head coach Mike Woodson spoke about the rehab of power forward Amar’e Stoudemire before the game, saying they still have no timetable for his return from left knee surgery.
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