Game Thread: New York Knicks @ Detroit Pistons 7:00pm 2/4/2016

The New York Knicks swarmed Andre Drummond to key a December win over the Detroit Pistons, but haven't shown signs of being able to replicate that effort recently.

The slumping Knicks will try to tighten things up as they try to avoid their fifth straight road loss Thursday night against a Detroit team that will likely be without Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who owns the second-longest active games played streak.

Drummond leads the league with 15.0 rebounds per game and is a big reason why the Pistons (26-24) pace all teams with an average of 15.8 second-chance points and rank among the leaders with 44.7 paint points and a plus-4.0 rebounding margin.

New York's game plan was obvious the first time it faced Drummond this season after he had averaged 17.2 rebounds over the previous six meetings. The club threw multiple bodies at the All-Star, holding him to just nine boards while outscoring Detroit 46-36 in the paint en route to a 108-96 victory Dec. 29 at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks are struggling heading into this meeting, losing eight of their last 11 games. They've also allowed 107.7 points per game in their past 12 after they were outscored 58-28 in the paint despite owning a 50-45 edge on the boards in Tuesday's 97-89 home loss to Boston.

"Defensively, we've slipped as a team," said guard Arron Afflalo, who had 18 points and four of the team's 17 turnovers. "It's not even worth taking about - we just have to improve. We have to improve defensively because offensively we have the talent. The frustrating part is that we're not getting the stops when we need them in the fourth quarter."

Making matters worse, New York is also scuffling offensively with 96.1 points per game on 40.7 percent shooting over a 1-6 stretch. The Knicks have averaged 94.2 while dropping 14 of 18 on the road.

Leading scorers Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis totaled just 26 points on 8-of-27 shooting Tuesday. Robin Lopez, who had six blocks in the first meeting with Detroit, was a bright spot with 17 points and a season high-tying 13 rebounds against the Celtics.

The Knicks (23-28) had a 54.4 field-goal percentage in December and could get more open looks against a Detroit team that has given up 106.8 points during a 1-3 stretch.

The Pistons shot 37.6 percent and couldn't dig out of a 24-point hole in Wednesday's 102-95 loss at Boston. Reggie Jackson had 17 points and Drummond added 16 with 13 boards.

"It doesn't matter who's scoring," guard Brandon Jennings told the team's official website. "We just need to get the win. That's the most important thing - and play hard every night."

Caldwell-Pope's run of 208 consecutive games played is in jeopardy after he suffered a groin injury. Stanley Johnson, who had 11 points and nine rebounds, will likely move into the lineup after coach Stan Van Gundy said Caldwell-Pope will "almost certainly be out."

New York could get point guard Jose Calderon back from a four-game absence due to a groin injury.

Anthony had 24 points, six rebounds and six assists in the last meeting, but he hasn't played at Detroit since scoring 13 on 5-of-21 shooting in a 98-95 loss on Nov. 5, 2014.

The Knicks had lost five of the past seven meetings before winning in December.

(nba.com)

Fisher says Calderon will probably play, though maybe limited minutes. Another bit of good news is CLeEarly participated in shoot around today.

The way this season has progressed, watch NY run off 4 consecutive wins to go into the ASB 1 under .500

(Theknicksblog)

The Knicks need an upgrade at point guard, a fact that seems plainly obvious to virtually everyone watching the team.

Count Charles Barkley among them.

"I think the Knicks, they're gonna be there [in the playoff mix]," Barkley said on a conference call Thursday to promote the upcoming All-Star Game, according to the Daily News. "I think, listen, Carmelo (Anthony) has had a solid year. I think he's really been trying to fit into the system they're running. (Kristaps) Porzingis has shocked everybody. He's shocked everybody. Right now, he's right there, him and Karl-Anthony Towns, they're the two leaders in the clubhouse as far as Rookie of the Year. It could go either way.

"But the one thing that surprised me was their point guard. I thought the (Jerian) Grant kid would be playing a lot more, earlier. But let me tell you something, I hear there are rumors they can get Jeff Teague. If they can get Jeff Teague, the playoffs are a lock. I love Jeff Teague. If you put him with Porzingis and (Arron) Afflalo and Carmelo, they will make the playoffs. That's the one weak spot they have to fix in the next year, the point guard.

"They need a point guard; that's the only thing they're really missing to be a playoff team."

Still, league sources told SNY.tv the Knicks are unlikely to land Teague because they simply don't have enough assets to give the Atlanta Hawks in return.

The Hawks are said to be shopping Teague ahead of the Feb. 18 trading deadline, with teh Utah Jazz among other spots he could possibly land.

Back in October, Barkley reversed course on his previous hatred of the Knicks and called them a "sleeper team" to make the playoffs.

Heading into Thursday's game in Detroit, the Knicks are 23-28 and five games under .500 for the first time this season.

2 points... Halfway thru 1st... Melo and KP 0-6 combined... DET 4/6 from 3... 12-2. Yikes.

Looked like offensive interference by Drummond on that 3 to end the 1st quarter, but still, really disheartening start to this game for the Knicks. We are getting badly outplayed on both ends of the court and we are already resorting to hacking Drummond.

Stanley Johnson has some Metta/Artest type similarity to his game. He definitely can become a very good player for the Pistons. Really quality rookie class overall from what I've seen.

Fisher is so DISRESPECTFUL he won't even play Grant whether Calderon is injured or we're getting blown out. He's rationalized playing Sasha more. What a mockery

Down 41 - 20 with over 8 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter. We are failing to compete. Under normal circumstances, it would be time to start getting ready to fire the head coach. We obviously won't be doing that.

Looks like best rookie class since 2003... Gonna go up there with the best of them...

Our staring back court has 2 points combined... KP has hit 1 shot... Melo off...

41-20 with 8 to go before the half.

Now Webber and Reggie are clowning our overall state on NATv because Fisher as I've said isn't placing any importance(recent public comments) on the bottom-line of winning but instead placing the importance on the Triangle System

mafra said:

Looks like best rookie class since 2003... Gonna go up there with the best of them...

Our staring back court has 2 points combined... KP has hit 1 shot... Melo off...

41-20 with 8 to go before the half.

Click to expand...

Yep it's gonna rate really high, too many quality players from KP to the Bookers to the Hezonjas...Kaminskys. I was very high on this class from Day 1. I think this summer may surprise too.

No doubt that Fisher is hurting this team in both the present and the future... It's beginning to look like this team is quitting on him. His emphasis on the system over results is disgraceful...

Playing Sasha and AA over our first round PG is infuriating. I would rather lose with youth than watch this.

Why not call a TO and say next person to shoot a jumper sits rest of the game. We've missed 25 shots... DRIVE the ball plz.

49 - 22 with 5 minutes to go in the half. We have 22 points in 19 minutes. C'mon.

Calderon, Affalo, Sasha 1-9 with 2 assists... DET top 3 Gs (JAX, Johnson, Jennings) have 22 & 6...

7 points produced vs 34.

Just what we need... Affalo chucking another 3... 25 first half points!

mafra said:

No doubt that Fisher is hurting this team in both the present and the future... It's beginning to look like this team is quitting on him. His emphasis on the system over results is disgraceful...

Playing Sasha and AA over our first round PG is infuriating. I would rather lose with youth than watch this.

Why not call a TO and say next person to shoot a jumper sits rest of the game. We've missed 25 shots... DRIVE the ball plz.

Click to expand...

Fisher is back to CLUELESS...

NYK make 12 FGs this half... 10-16 from FT line... Grant finally gets in game and off a made FT he watches as Jennings runs away down court for a lonng pass and easy layup...

For marginal NBA players... Trying to carve out a role for themselves... Grant and Galloway have zero energy and play zero defense... Kind of hard to give them playing time when guards run circles around them...

60-36!!!!

Melo and KP are the only thing keeping this team afloat and when they play as portly as they have the last 4 quarters... We look just like that 17-win team from last year.

Down 60 - 36 at the half. Teams face tougher opposition during their practice scrimmages than they do against us on game night now.

Reggie Miller hit the nail on the head in that 2nd quarter. He said all Knicks fans want is to just get the 8th seed. Give us hope. We'll build from there.

Suddenly, as the losses pile up, we are likely not even going to be in the running for that 8th seed before too long passes after the All-Star break.

Took a half a season and the boys had some nice moments but CWebb is right, the Knicks just aren't that good. They don't have one elite athlete on the team when other teams put out 2 or 3 at a time. Rumor is if the Knicks can't make a deal by the deadline they'll be asking guys if they'll take a buyout so they can have a few million more in cap space this summer.

Barkley continues to talk up that what we need is Jeff Teague.