Knicks put on offensive clinic in relentless annihilation of sad Pistons

DETROIT — The story of a suddenly cohesive unit pummeling an overmatched opponent was told in the opening six minutes. By the end of this offensive clinic, the Knicks were already up 10 points and snatched the fight out of the sad Pistons, who folded like a deuce-seven offsuit poker hand and lost to New York for the 16th straight time in Friday night’s 128-98 wire-to-wire annihilation. The Knicks (3-2) led by 26 points after the first quarter, tying the franchise’s second-biggest advantage ever for the first 12 minutes.They were up by as many as 33 in the first half. The Pistons never got closer than 22 after that. When Leon Rose created these Knicks in the offseason, Friday night — just the fifth game of the season — was what he must’ve hoped would materialize from the starting lineup.

Jalen Brunson, the captain, dissected Detroit’s defense while scoring 26 of his season-high 36 points in the first half. Karl-Anthony Towns, who had been listed as questionable with a sprained wrist before tip-off, added 11 rebounds and seven assists with 21 points, two nights after dropping 44 on the Heat.He continued to counter the “soft” label, backing down Pistons enforcer Isaiah Stewart for a layup attempt, an offensive rebound and a putback through contact in the second quarter.

Towns is shooting a ridiculous 65 percent on his 3-pointers to start the season, hitting 3 of 6 on Friday.  Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! OG Anunoby, the $212 million man, recorded 21 points with six assists.

Mikal Bridges contributed 15 points with seven boards.Josh Hart gave 13 points with nine rebounds.

The Knicks finished with 16 steals, including four from Miles McBride.There was ball movement, unselfis...