Many of the televisions had been shut down by the time the Knicks’ newest addition, center Norvel Pelle, entered Saturday’s game at Detroit’s Little Caesar’s Arena with 2:44 to go for his team debut.
The Knicks had already destroyed the Pistons from start to finish in a 125-81 mauling at Motown, building a 14-0 lead that turned to 41-15 after a quarter. The rest of the game was waste time.
It was a 44-point destruction desperately needed when the Knicks found their bike in the Motor City and no longer looked like they were ready for the junkyard. The Knicks broke their three-game loss streak by booking the sixth largest profit margin in franchise history, returning to .500 at 25-25.
But not before Pelle became an emblem of this tough Knicks team and these Motown romp. Not for this cameo performance by the 6-foot-10 neophyte from St. Croix.
When he got the ball for the first time, Pelle got dirty for a dunk on the way up and stuck a finger in the iron rim. As he crash-landed, Pelle looked at his index finger, which was bent in all different directions. And he smiled at the deformity.
The Knicks trainers rushed to Pelle. Finally they pushed the finger back into place.
Pelle said he wanted to shoot the free throws. Trainer Anthony Goenaga glued the fingers. Pelle went to the free-throw line, made one of the two free throws.
On the other hand, the shot-blocking center played the part. Isaiah Stewart, the tough first-round pick of The Pistons from Rochester state, attempted to shoot over Pelle twice and was blocked each time, first with Pelle’s right hand and then with his left.
A wild end to a wild Detroit night. While it is true that the Pistons would struggle to win the NIT, this was a major mauling by the Knicks.
“Seeing such a player who just came to us to go down with an injury and be able to pack him back up and make big blocks showed his energy,” said Reggie Bullock, who is the star of was the night who scored 22 points and draw. a career-high with six 3-pointers. “He’s a Knick-type player with the persistence to keep playing in the game. We love that fight of his. ”
It was only a short moment, but symbolic of the toughness that Tom Thibodeau’s club has shown in 50 games. Thibodeau admitted before the game that he didn’t know much about Pelle, who played for the 76ers, Kings and Nets.
“Our scouts liked him very much,” he said.
Thibodeau now knows why. He likes defensively mean centers that smile at dislocated fingers.
“Quite remarkable,” said Thibodeau. ‘The man has not been through any exercise. He was ready to go. It looked ugly. You appreciated that he wanted to stay in. That’s why we brought it in – the rim protector. It said a lot about him. Apparently pleased with the way he played in that short period there. ”
It was just a bizarre night. The Knicks had a 30-point lead just in the middle of the second quarter, which grew to 40 in the last period. The early scores were ridiculous – 14-0, 16-1, 24-3. The limited fans on hand would have to demand their money back, although some were decked out in Knicks jerseys.
“I just loved the togetherness and the spirit of the team,” said Thibodeau. “They were great in the movie session, the walk-through and the start of the game set the tone with the selflessness and how we watched. ”
Nothing is a gimme in this competition, especially on the second night of a back-to-back. Remember, the Knicks collapsed into Minnesota in the fourth quarter on Wednesday against the NBA’s worst team.
After a horrible night against Dallas on Friday, Julius Randle found his star and rattled in 20 of 41 points in the first quarter. Randle and Bullock each cleared four three-pointers in the 12-minute masterpiece.
Judging by the way the Pistons seemed to care, you might think Detroit (14-35) will give Minnesota (12-38) a run for its money for the NBA’s worst record. The pistons are on the tank train. Gonzaga hero Jalen Suggs gets to trade his Bulldogs uniform for that of the Pistons. Poor guy. At least the Knicks ‘have the Pistons’ second round, which could be No. 31 overall.
The Knicks made no move on the trade deadline and did nothing in the buyout market, other than Pelle Inks, as third string center behind Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson.
Whether they regret not having made a harder attack on defenders Victor Oladipo, Norman Powell, Lonzo Ball or petty forward Evan Fournier will depend on how big of a factor point guard Derrick Rose, obtained in a trade on Super Bowl Sunday, is going to be.
“Every team is fighting for something right now, and the team that isn’t playing for anything, they would [like] to be the team that knocks us out of the playoffs, ” said Rose. “That’s what the NBA is all about. No boys allowed. “
They were men in Detroit on Saturday.