Pistons at Knicks final score: Detroit wins lottery odds, New York wins game, 96-84

The Detroit Pistons lost to the New York Knicks, 96-84. Christian Wood led the Pistons in scoring with 22 points, and Bruce Brown Jr. was the second-leading scorer for Detroit (and the only other Piston in double figures) with 16 points. The Knicks were led by 22 points from Julius Randle and 14 points and 11 rebounds for Mitchell Robinson off the bench.

I won’t lie to y’all, there was a moment in the second quarter where I didn’t know if I was going to make it through tonight:

But we persevered. Brandon Knight was a late scratch tonight with a right hamstring strain, so Bruce Brown started at point guard, AND we got extended looks at Khyri Thomas as a lead ballhandler. We got roughly what you’d expect from Bruce as a point guard (his numbers were good, but the offense when he was leading it was spotty), and Khyri ... Khyri was better in his minutes off the ball.

Perhaps saving the Khyri-at-point-guard move for the Knicks was an elite tanking maneuver from Dwane Casey? Either way, Khyri-at-point-guard continues the repudiation of Jordan Bone as a part of the Pistons’ long-term plans.

Sekou Doumbouya played his third game in three nights, which is the type of thing you probably SHOULDN’T do as a basketball player, but he’s 19 so we’re not as worried about wearing down the tread on his tires. And, after 30 points in Maine and nine points in Detroit, Sekou scored four points in New York... perhaps three games in three nights isn’t great for productivity.

Christian Wood and Julius Randle got a little chippy in the third quarter:

That was a nice diversion from the game on the floor, and to be expected - those guys were going HARD at one another all night underneath the basket. Very old-school.

As for the tank race: The Minnesota Timberwolves lost (boo), Chicago Bulls lost (boo), Cleveland Cavaliers won (yay), and the Knicks, of course, won (yay).

The Pistons will play the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.