NEW YORK – The Pistons confronted multiple demons and stared them all down.
The NBA’s worst team last season in back to backs with a 3-14 record, the Pistons start this season 1-0 with their 111-107 win at New York. Sporting a 3-8 record in the Big Apple against the lottery-bound Knicks and Nets over the past three years – and 1-7 the past two years – the Pistons start 2016-17 at 1-0 in the city that never sleeps. Bonus: They even ruined the season opener at Madison Square Garden against a Knicks team that had Friday night off to get ready for the Pistons.
Outshot from the free throw line by a whopping 32 attempts in their first two games, the Pistons continued that ominous trend Saturday night, too – but won anyway, despite staying right on their average of 16 fewer foul shots a game. And it ended 31-15 in favor of the Knicks only because New York intentionally fouled Reggie Jackson twice in the final seconds.
But there are a few other things tending positively for the Pistons. Let’s tick those off: