Knicks-Pistons Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Jan 06 2012 11:43PM

Carmelo Anthony may be enjoying his best scoring stretch in over two years, but the New York Knicks have just one win to show for it.

Facing the Detroit Pistons may be just what New York needs to begin building momentum.

Anthony will try to overcome a sore hip and help the Knicks win consecutive games for the first time this season Saturday night against the Pistons.

Anthony ranks among the league leaders with 29.1 points per game. He has scored at least 30 in three straight contests - averaging 34.7 - but New York (3-4) has only won once in that span.

He came up huge in Friday's 99-96 victory over winless Washington. Anthony shook off a sore right hip and scored 37 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining.

"I was hurt. I was just praying it went in. I wasn't going to try to drive at all, I knew I didn't have any push off on my right leg," Anthony said.

The four-time All-Star hasn't reached the 30-point mark in four consecutive games since a five-game run with Denver from Dec. 8-16, 2009.

It appears the Knicks may not need another big scoring effort from Anthony against the Pistons (2-5), who are among the lowest scoring teams in the NBA at 84.9 points per game while surrendering 93.3.

New York, however, allowed the Wizards to have their most productive offensive performance of the season, two days after doing the same against Charlotte in a 118-110 loss at home.

"We're a long ways from being any good, but we have the spirit and we are fighting," coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Anthony, though, may be looking to erase the memory of his last visit to Detroit on March 8, when he turned in his worst game as a Knick. He missed 10 of 12 shots - all five in the fourth quarter - to finish with six points in a 99-95 loss, ending New York's four-game win streak in the series.

The Knicks are averaging 114.2 points in their last five meetings with the Pistons.

Amar'e Stoudemire has averaged 30.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in three games against Detroit since joining the Knicks.

He's shown no adverse effects from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him for two games. Stoudemire has totaled 48 points and 24 rebounds in two contests since returning.

The Pistons are trying to avoid their second three-game skid of the season after falling 96-73 at Philadelphia on Friday. The listless performance included matching a season-low 36.0 percent shooting from the floor while missing all 10 3-point attempts.

"When the dam exploded, it really exploded," coach Lawrence Frank said.

It's unclear if Detroit will have guards Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey back. Gordon, the team leader with 16.2 points per game, sat out Friday due to personal reasons, while Stuckey was absent with a sore groin.

Gordon averages 18.7 points in 23 games against the Knicks.

Greg Monroe may be looked at to pick up the scoring slack. The center matched his season high with 22 points while pulling down seven rebounds against the 76ers.

Knicks rout Pistons 103-80 after big 2nd quarter

By NOAH TRISTER
Posted Jan 07 2012 11:22PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Playing his third game in four nights - with soreness all over his body - Carmelo Anthony made it through three quarters.

Then he had a chance to rest while the New York Knicks finished off a much-needed blowout.

Anthony scored 13 points, and the Knicks routed the Detroit Pistons 103-80 on Saturday night. Anthony was hit in the back late in Friday night's win over Washington, but he was able to play against the Pistons - although New York didn't need him to do all that much.

"My whole right side was kind of locked up. Last night when we got in, they unlocked my back," Anthony said. "Then today it was my hip, then in the game it was my knee. It was kind of my whole right side. I can use this day off tomorrow."

He was able to sit out the fourth quarter after the Knicks built a 29-point lead. Amare Stoudemire scored 22 points and Mike Bibby added 16.

New York led 64-42 at halftime.

"Tonight we came out from the jump, from the beginning," Anthony said. "Tonight we put four quarters together."

The Detroit fans had little to cheer about - except when highlights of Lions touchdowns from their playoff game in New Orleans were shown on the big screen. Brandon Knight led the Pistons with 19 points.

"This was very, very disappointing. Overall, this was just an unacceptable and extremely disappointing performance," Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. "Obviously, this is not representative of what we want to be."

Bibby has 27 points in his last two games after scoring seven through New York's first six.

Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey sat out with a groin injury, and the Pistons were also without forwards Austin Daye (right ankle) and Charlie Villanueva (left ankle).

Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert made his first career start, replacing Toney Douglas. He finished with 11 points, including an alley-oop dunk late in the game that made it 99-73.

"I thought it went well," Shumpert said. "We started off on the right foot and kept the energy up."

New York led by just a point after the first quarter before breaking the game open in the second. With the score tied at 32, the Knicks went on a 26-4 run, highlighted by a one-handed dunk by Anthony over Detroit big man Greg Monroe that made it 52-35.

Moments later, Bibby made a 3-pointer to push the lead to 20, and he added another shot from long distance at the shot clock buzzer to make it 58-36.

Bibby led all scorers in the first half with 14 points, making all four of his 3-point attempts. Detroit gave the Knicks far too many extra chances in the half, turning the ball over 11 times and allowing nine offensive rebounds.

The Pistons finished with 20 turnovers. They've lost three straight by decisive margins. Chicago beat them by 16 before Philadelphia defeated Detroit 96-73 on Friday night.

New York was playing the second game of a back-to-back set as well, having edged Washington 99-96 the previous night.

The Pistons haven't been drawing well this season, although Saturday night's announced attendance of 12,044 was mitigated by the fact that the Lions were playing their first playoff game in a dozen years at the same time.

The area's basketball team has a ways to go if it's going to reach the postseason. The Pistons looked disoriented on defense throughout, allowing several easy dunks and doing little to slow the Knicks.

"This was a perfect example of how not to play our game," Detroit's Jonas Jerebko said. "They play that up-and-down style, and once you make a couple mistakes, it really gets away from you in a hurry. That's how they like to play, and we let them get into it."

After an alley-oop from Anthony to Tyson Chandler and a dunk by Stoudemire, New York led 79-53 in the third quarter. Josh Harrellson, the Knicks' 6-foot-10 rookie, added a 3-pointer to make it 82-55.

NOTES: Anthony was called for a technical foul in the third. ... Greg Monroe scored 15 points for the Pistons. ... The Knicks committed a defensive 3-second violation 15 seconds into the game.

Notebook: Knicks 103, Pistons 80

By Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday January 7, 2012 10:46PM

THE FACTS: Forward Amar'e Stoudemire had 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists as the New York Knicks cruised to a 103-80 victory over the Detroit Pistons at The Palace Saturday. Guard Mike Bibby added 16 points off the bench, including a 14-point second quarter when he made four 3-pointers, as the Knicks outscored the Pistons, 39-18.

QUOTABLE: "We came out from the beginning and jumped on them. Everybody got going and we covered down defensively. That picked up our defense, too. Tonight, we put four quarters together."
-- Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony.

THE STAT: 13. That was a lucky number for the Knicks Saturday as they threw down 13 dunks. Tyson Chandler converted a couple of alley-oops from Carmelo Anthony. Stoudemire overpowered Pistons reserve forward Jason Maxiell in each half. Stoudemire had a second-quarter slam after Maxiell went reeling backward, then trash-talked Maxiell during the fourth quarter after dunking in his face.

TURNING POINT: Bibby's first 3-pointer of the second quarter started a 26-4 Knicks run and his fourth one ended it, giving New York a commanding 58-36 lead. Anthony had six points, three rebounds, three blocks and two assists during that 5:56 span, while the Pistons shot 1 of 8 from the field and made four turnovers.

QUOTABLE II: "This is not representative of who we want to be. We all have to own it. This is going to be a long season, so what we have to do is figure out all the things that are going to be part of the solution."
-- Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank after his team's third straight loss

HOT: Bibby entered the game shooting 31.8 percent and had made only 4 of 13 3-point attempts. He only took five shots but made the most of them while adding three assists and four free throws.

NOT: Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince continued his season-long funk with four points and two rebounds. Prince, who signed a 4-year, $27-million contract entering training camp, is averaging 8.9 points and 3.4 rebounds.

GOOD MOVE: Anthony made a game-winning 3-pointer against Washington Friday despite a sore back. He received treatment until the wee hours of the morning and didn't get much sleep but refused to let his teammates down. Though his back tightened up, he contributed 13 points and seven assists.

BAD MOVE: Pistons rookie guard Brandon Knight, starting in place of injured Rodney Stuckey (groin), attempted 13 3-pointers. That's not what Frank wants from his young floor leader. Knight had only four assists along with three turnovers.

NOTABLE: Pistons forwards Austin Daye and Charlie Villanueva sat out with ankle sprains. ... Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni started rookie Iman Shumpert at point guard ahead of Toney Douglas. Shumpert made three first-half fouls in his first start but had 11 points and three assists. ... The Pistons have now lost three straight games by 16 or more points for the first time since January 1980. ... Ben Gordon committed nine of Detroit's 21 turnovers, which led to 23 Knicks points.

UP NEXT: For the Knicks, Monday vs. Charlotte, Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, Thursday @ Memphis. For the Pistons, Monday @ Chicago, Tuesday vs. Dallas, Thursday @ Milwaukee.

• Knicks: Davis, Jeffries
• Pistons: --

• Knicks: Anthony
• Pistons: --

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #24 Mike Callahan, #18 Matt Boland, #54 Nick Buchert
• Attendance: 12044
• Duration: 2:10