Pistons Beat Slumping Knicks 96-85
By LARRY LAGE/AP Sports Writer
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Andre Drummond had 17 points and a career-high 26 rebounds, helping the Detroit Pistons surge to beat the New York Knicks 96-85 Monday night in a matchup of slumping teams.
The Pistons had lost four straight and seven of eight. New York has dropped seven straight games and 13 of 15.
Carmelo Anthony scored 10 of his 28 points in a first quarter in which the Knicks led by as much as 14 and were ahead 28-20 when it ended.
The Pistons outscored New York by three points in the second quarter, 30-20 in the third and started the fourth quarter with eight unanswered points.
Detroit reserves Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum each scored 16 points, helping their team's bench outscore New York's 36-7.
Amare Stoudemire had 22 points for the Knicks despite playing sparingly in the fourth quarter.
Early in the game, it looked as if the Knicks would be the team that was motivated to end its skid.
Anthony made his first four shots - all from the outside - for 10 points in six-plus minutes as New York led 14-4. Stoudemire, who scored eight points in the first quarter, made a driving dunk to lift the Knicks to a 25-11 lead.
The Knicks, who started 8 of 15 from the field, were 9 of 18 in the first quarter. Over the next three quarters, New York went cold. J.R. Smith missed a lot of attempts before closing 5 of 17 from the field and scoring 16 points for the Knicks.
Detroit's Josh Smith had the exact same poor performance shooting and scored 15 points.
Greg Monroe had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who are trying to climb up in the Eastern Conference standings to earn a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
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