New York, NY – Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points in his return needed 113-86 win over the lowly Pistons on Tuesday.
Anthony had missed two straight contests with a litany of ailments, but went 9-of-14 from the field to lead five players in double-figures and handed out six assists. Landry Fields had 18 points and hit four three-pointers for the Knicks, who had lost three straight and nine of 10 coming in. They shot 60 percent on the night.
Jonas Jerebko scored 15 points while Greg Monroe had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Pistons, losers of six straight and 10 of 11.
The Knicks set the tone in the first. Fields was perfect on three attempts from beyond the arc, Anthony had 10 points and five assists, and the team shot 68 percent from the floor, resulting in a 33-24 lead.
They were up 57-45 at the half and used a 10-0 run to turn a 60-49 game into a blowout in the third. Amare Stoudemire had six points during the burst. Fields added a jumper and Anthony capped it with a pair of free throws, as the Knicks continued to execute with precision on the offensive end.
The advantage reached 29 on a Renaldo Balkman up-and-under lefty layup in the closing minutes.
Game Notes
The Knicks were coming off a 1-3 road trip. They host the Bulls on Thursday before visiting the Celtics on Friday...New York has won six of its past seven over Detroit...The Pistons fell to 1-11 on the road this season.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.