Despite the 87-77 final score of the #Pistons loss to the Knicks Wednesday night they may have put up one of the biggest fights all season long. Detroit shorthanded with Greg Monroe, Charlie Villanueva, and of course Andre Drummond where without their head coach and playing a Knicks team that’s had their number for two straight seasons. A fantastic third quarter when they went on an 18-4 run to turn a 23-40 half time deficit into a 62-52 lead with just a few minutes left in the third. The Knicks fought back, and regained the lead in the fourth on a flurry of three’s and Detroit just couldn’t keep up in the last few minutes of the game.

Key Points:

• Lawrence Frank out for the game tending to personal reasons. Jonas Jerebko gets his first start of the season. Coincidence?
• Jerebko looked like the Jonas of old, playing scrappy, helping out on the defense and scoring 12 in 26 minutes on the floor.
• Kyle Singler had a flurry of baskets to start the third quarter to help Detroit take the lead. He finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
• If Jose Calderon resigns with Detroit he may fight Greg Monroe for the title of King of the Double-Doubles. Jose with 10 points and 16 assists on the night adding two steals on the night.
• Give it up to Jason Maxiell who really had to do all the heavy lifting for Detroit will all their big men out. Jason did the best he could trying to corral Stoudemire, who scored 20 off the bench for the Knicks in limited minutes. Jason scored 14 points with nine boards and two blocked shots on the night in 37 minutes on the floor.

Photo/Getty Images Editing Need4Sheed.com

• Brandon Knight couldn’t hit a thing in the first half, but started dropping three’s after halftime. Knight led the Pistons with 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting going 4-of-8 from downtown.
• The Knicks were without Carmelo Anthony.
• JR Smith hit three killer three-pointers in the fourth quarter to help propel the Knicks.

Brandon Knight: “That’s kind of been the thing with New York. All the times that we’ve played them they’ve relied on 3-pointers. It got them back in the game tonight and it eventually pushed them over the hump.” Via Pistons.com

• Five Pistons in double figures.
• A combined 44 points of the bench for the Stoudemire and Smith.
• Highlights via NBA.com

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• Stuckey 0-of-5 shooting for 3 points in 26 minutes.
• Nothing Bynumite about Will’s performance against the Knicks.
• The Knicks had two 16-0 runs.
• The Knicks haven’t lost a season series to Detroit since 2006-07.
• 20 turnovers on the night for each team.
• This was the first time Greg Monroe missed a game due to injury since he’s been in the NBA.
• Dallas at the Palace Friday Night.