Julius Randle had 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists and the visiting New York Knicks recorded their third straight victory by rolling past the Detroit Pistons 109-90 on Sunday.
RJ Barrett supplied 21 points and five rebounds, while Alec Burks contributed 16 points off the bench. Derrick Rose, who was traded by the Pistons earlier this month, had 14 points and five assists for New York against his former team.
NBA trade rumors: Latest updates leading up to the March 25 deadline
Immanuel Quickley tossed in 12 points for the Knicks and Nerlens Noel added eight points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
Jerami Grant led the Pistons, who have lost three straight, with 21 points and eight rebounds. Wayne Ellington contributed 15 points off the bench. Josh Jackson added 12 points and Saddiq Bey chipped in 10 for Detroit.
New York, which defeated Indiana 110-107 on Saturday, shot 51.2 percent from the field and made half of its 26 3-point attempts. Detroit was held to 38.4 percent shooting and made just 9-of-32 3-point tries (28.1 percent).
Related: NBA playoff predictions – Bracket picks & 2024 Finals champion
The Pistons shot just 30.8 percent from the field in the first half and trailed 48-37 at halftime.
Noel had three of the Knicks’ seven blocks before the break. Barrett led the early offense with 12 points and Burks provided a 10-point boost.
Barrett’s three-point play in the opening seconds of the second half set the tone for the third quarter. Detroit pulled within nine points on two occasions, then the Knicks took full control.
A three-point play by Randle began a 17-5 Knicks run. Randle knocked down a 3-pointer, a stepback shot and a mid-range pullup during the run. A 3-pointer by Reggie Bullock and a dunk for Noel, both set up by Rose feeds, made it 72-51.
Related: NBA Power Rankings – Warriors and Celtics remain at the top after first wave of free agency
New York eventually pushed the advantage to 81-57 on a Rose 3-pointer. The Knicks were up 83-64 heading into the final quarter.
Detroit could not mount a comeback. The teams will meet again, this time in New York, on Thursday just prior to the All-Star break.
–Field Level Media