Knicks at Pistons
The New York Knicks are starting to roll with a season-best three-game winning streak and a solid group of veterans stepping up to support the youngsters. The Knicks will try to make it four straight - three in a row on the road - when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
New York earned wins at Boston and over the New Orleans Pelicans before beating the Memphis Grizzlies at their own game and dominating the glass to earn a 103-98 road win on Sunday. "The thing I'm most happy with is the way that we're taking punches and we keep coming and we're figuring out ways to win games now. Whether it's getting stops, a timely executed play, big shot from somebody," Fizdale told reporters. "This young team is starting to figure a couple things out." The Pistons are surging as well with wins in six of eight and knocked off Houston in overtime on Friday before pulling away from the Phoenix Suns late Sunday to kick off the six-game homestand with back-to-back victories. "We just finally executed our game plan in the fourth quarter," Detroit forward Blake Griffin told reporters. "We just didn't do a good job of executing as a team and then - when we turned it up a notch and actually executed - we did what we were supposed to do. It's a good lesson for us."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FS Detroit
ABOUT THE KNICKS (7-14): New York is trying to find as many minutes as it can for its young players, but veteran center Enes Kanter keeps demanding a prominent spot in the rotation. Kanter, who at 26 is one of the oldest players on the roster, logged a season high-tying 41 minutes on Sunday and finished with 21 points along with 26 rebounds in the victory for his third-straight double-double. Fellow 26-year-old Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a team-high 22 points but was 6-of-16 from the floor and is 8-of-31 over the last two contests.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (10-7): Small forward Stanley Johnson scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 25 minutes off the bench on Sunday, but it is his defense that continues to draw raves from his teammates and coaches. "Stanley just physically put his will into the game and did a good job of staying in front of him, bodying him and not letting him come off clean with rhythm off pick and rolls," Detroit coach Dwane Casey told reporters of Johnson's effort against Phoenix star Devin Booker. "Even with that, it’s tough. But Stanley's size and length did a much better job." Johnson will likely spend some time on Tuesday matched up against Hardaway while Kanter will have to deal with Pistons center Andre Drummond, who collected 19 points, 16 rebounds and five steals in Sunday's 118-107 triumph.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. New York SG Courtney Lee (neck) was cleared to participate in practice and could make his season debut soon.
2. Pistons PG Reggie Jackson is 5-of-22 from 3-point range over the last three games.
3. Detroit took all three meetings last season.