Overview
- The Knicks visit Little Caesars Arena on Monday for their first regular-season meeting with Detroit since the playoffs, a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the East.
- The Pistons lead the conference at 26-9 and return on the second night of a back-to-back after a win in Cleveland.
- Detroit will be without starters Jalen Duren (ankle) and Tobias Harris (hip), narrowing their frontcourt depth.
- New York is 23-12 after three straight losses and remains without two-way starter Josh Hart, who won’t be reevaluated until Friday; Landry Shamet is also out with a shoulder injury.
- Brown cited sagging pace and defensive slippage — 16th overall this season and 26th over the last 10 games — while Karl-Anthony Towns continues to struggle for efficiency, particularly when paired with Mitchell Robinson.