Despite Harrington’s 25, Depleted Knicks Fall in Detroit

Detroit Pistons 110, New York Knicks 96

A native son of Michigan, Wilson Chandler collides with Allen Iverson while defending the Knicks basket. Chandler had a strong game, recording 15 points, eight boards, two steals and two blocks before being ejected for sending a ball into the crowd late in the third quarter. NBAE/Getty Images

In just their second game as New York Knicks since Friday's trades, Al Harrington and Tim Thomas continued to impress while adjusting to a new team and system. However, a depleted Knicks roster couldn't keep up with the Detroit Pistons as New York fell 110-96 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Already without Nate Robinson, who is day-to-day with a strained groin suffered on Tuesday, the Knicks lost Quentin Richardson to a forearm injury and Wilson Chandler to an ejection before dropping a 110-96 decision to the new-look Pistons in the second of back-to-back games.

But despite finishing the game shorthanded, Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoni took several positives from the loss, and still feels his team is headed in the right direction.

“We’ll keep our heads up, we’ll keep plugging and we’ll solve the problems,” said D’Antoni. “There’s enough good stuff out there that I could see that we can work on to make it happen.”

One bright spot for the Knicks was the play of Harrington and Thomas.

Harrington scored a game-high 25 points and added seven rebounds, while Thomas finished with 12 and six despite not having an opportunity to practice yet with his new team.

“This one felt like a practice," said Thomas, who scored 16 in a defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. "Yesterday felt more like a walk through. I’m just trying to get refocused. I’m just trying to get a real grip and understanding of the system.”

Entering the game averaging 28 points over his previous two, Richardson was limited with an arm injury suffered late in the third quarter. He made a brief return in the fourth before heading to the locker room with just over three minutes left in regulation.

D’Antoni, who doesn't expect the injury to be serious, addressed the situation after the game, citing it as an example of the tremendous heart and commraderie amongst the team.

“I said, ‘Q, can you go?’ And he said, ‘My arm is killing me, but I’m not going to leave my guys hanging out to dry.’”

David Lee was another bright spot, tallying 17 points and 15 rebounds, as was Chandler, who chipped in with 15 and eight despite missing the entire fourth quarter.

“I just think our spirit is OK," said D'Antoni. "I don’t want us to lose too many because you can lose that spirit and I don’t think we will. We’ll figure this out and get back on the track. We just have to hover above .500 until we get some streaks going. That’s our goal.”

KNICKS KNACKS

STAT OF THE GAME

The Knicks recorded only 19 assists in the game, well below their 23.3 apg they averaged over the first 14 games of the year. New York came into the game ranked third in the league in assists per game, but fell short of their usual mark as the team continues to adjust to one another.

TURNING POINT

The Pistons took the wind out of the Knicks’ sails late in the first quarter when they went on a 19-6 run that extended into the second to build a 20-point lead. New York went on a small run of its own in the third quarter to cut the deficit to nine on an Al Harrington 3-pointer with 2:34 left in the period, but the Knicks wouldn’t get any closer as they watched Detroit extend its lead to as many as 24 in the fourth.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Just three minutes into the game, Wilson Chandler electrified The Palace of Auburn Hills with a thunderous dunk. Tracking down a loose ball following a missed three-pointer by Quentin Richardson, Chandler grabbed the rock, drove to the rim, and rose majestically over the 6-11 Rasheed Wallace before coming down with the two-handed slam.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

"The effort's there. Nobody is giving up right now and we're excited about the future for this season. We're all very excited, coach included, about what we have with this team."

David Lee