Malik Beasley drained two 3-pointers in the final minute Monday night to put the game away for the visiting Detroit Pistons, who held off a fourth-quarter rally by the New York Knicks to earn a 124-119 win.
The Pistons led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter and were up 101-92 early in the fourth before the Knicks began inching back. New York got within two points five times before Mikal Bridges sank a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 118-117 with 1:26 left.
Cade Cunningham, who scored 29 of his game-high 36 points in the second half, missed a fallaway jumper on the Pistons’ next possession, but the Knicks turned the ball over when Karl-Anthony Towns was whistled for a foul while setting a pick against Ausar Thompson.
Then, with the shot clock running down, Tim Hardaway Jr. passed up a shot at the top of the key and dished to Beasley, who drained a corner 3-pointer with 39.1 seconds remaining. Jalen Brunson hit a driving layup to cut the Pistons’ lead to 121-119, but the Knicks didn’t foul on the next possession and Hardaway — again with the shot clock nearing zero — fed Beasley for another 3-pointer from the left wing with 6.3 seconds left.
Beasley finished with 22 points off the bench while going 6-for-8 from 3-point land in less than 18 minutes. It was the ninth time this season Beasley drained at least six 3-pointers in a game.
Thompson and Tobias Harris had 11 points each while Hardaway and Jalen Duren finished with 10 points apiece as the Pistons (21-19) moved two games over .500 for the first time since March 30, 2019. Detroit has won 10 of its last 12.
Brunson (31 points, 11 assists), Towns (26 points, 12 rebounds) and Josh Hart (12 points, 14 rebounds) all posted double-doubles for the Knicks, who led 63-59 at the half before losing for the fifth time in the past seven games. Bridges finished with 27 points.
–Field Level Media
