(Field Level Media) Julius Randle regained his All-Star form, finishing with 27 points and 16 rebounds to help the New York Knicks host close the first half of the season with a 114-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons last night.
Coming off a 14-point subpar performance in a loss to the Spurs on Tuesday, Randle shot 11-for-19 from the field and also seven assists to help New York persevere despite playing without Derrick Rose for the second game in a row because of the NBA health and safety Protocols.
Rose returned several negative tests for COVD-19 before the game, but the league ruled he was ineligible to play against his former team.
All five Knicks starters scored in double figures. RJ Barrett scored 21 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds. The Pistons spread the points even more, finishing with eight players in double figures. Wayne Ellington led with 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting.
The Knicks welcomed back Elfrid Payton, who missed four games with a hamstring injury. He finished with 20 points and six rebounds on 7-for-14 shooting. Taj Gibson stayed out with a sprained left ankle.
Reggie Bullock and Nerlens Noel added 12 points each for the Knicks, and Noel contributed 11 rebounds.
However, Rookie Immanuel Quickley, who averaged just over 12 points per game, played only 13 minutes and was held scoreless.
The Knicks shot 54.2 percent from the field, defeating the Pistons 47-29 and outscoring them 66-38 in the paint.
Saddiq Bey had 14 points for Detroit, while Mason Plumlee finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Rodney McGruder had 13 points off the Pistons bench, and Dennis Smith Jr. added 12 points. Isaiah Stewart and Sekou Doumbouya Reserves had 10.
Jerami Grant (left quad), Josh Jackson (illness), Frank Jackson (illness), Killian Hayes (right hip strain), Delon Wright (right knee strain), Jahlil Okafor (left knee surgery) and Blake Griffin ( not with the team) out for Detroit.
The Knicks open the second half with a four-game road trip beginning March 11 in Milwaukee. The Pistons also resume on the road with back-to-back games in Charlotte and Brooklyn on March 11 and 13.