DETROIT (AP) — Julius Randle scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and the New York Knicks moved above .500 with a 109-90 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.
The Knicks (18-17) have the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference and have won seven of their last nine games. They had an easy time with the last-place Pistons, taking an 11-point lead into halftime and extending that to 24 in the second half.
This is the first time the Knicks have been above .500 this far into the season since they were 54-28 at the end of 2012-13, according to SportRadar.
Derrick Rose scored 14 points, less than a month after he was traded from the Pistons to the Knicks. Dennis Smith Jr., who went to Detroit in that deal, started and scored seven.
Jerami Grant scored 21 points for the Pistons. They shot just 38% from the field and went 9 of 32 from 3-point range. Detroit has lost six of seven.
RJ Barrett scored 21 points for the Knicks, and Alec Burks added 16.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Taj Gibson (left ankle sprain), Elfrid Payton (right sore hamstring) and Mitchell Robinson (right hand surgery) were out. ... New York shot 51% from the field and 13 of 26 from beyond the arc.
Pistons: Detroit has been holding Blake Griffin out while trying to resolve his future. Delon Wright (right adductor strain) also missed Sunday’s game. ... The Pistons avoided their lowest point total of the season, which was 86 against Utah on Jan. 10.
UP NEXT
Knicks: At San Antonio on Tuesday night.
Pistons: Vs. Toronto in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday night.
