Many of the TV sets were turned off at the moment the Knicks’ newest addition, pivot Norvel Pelle, entered Saturday’s competition at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, with 2:44 to go before their debut on the team.
The Knicks had already destroyed the Pistons from start to finish in a 125-81 attack on Motown, building a 14-0 lead that turned to 41-15 after a quarter. The rest of the game was trash time.
It was an extremely necessary 44-point wreck when the Knicks found their engine in Motor City, no longer looking ready for the junkyard. The Knicks broke their three-game losing streak by posting the sixth largest winning margin in the franchise’s history and returned to 0.500 in 25-25.
But not before Pelle became an emblem of this tough Knicks team and this Motown prank. Not before this presentation of the 6-foot and 10-foot neophyte from St. Croix.
When he received the ball for the first time, Pelle suffered a foul when he went up for a dunk and stuck his finger in the iron edge. As he fell, Pelle looked at his index finger folded in all directions. And he smiled at the disfigurement.
The Knicks’ coaches rushed to meet Pelle. They finally put their finger back in place.
Pelle said he wanted to do free throws. Coach Anthony Goenaga taped his fingers. Pelle went to the free throw line, made one of two free throws.
At the other end, the kick blocking center played the role. Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons rookie in the first round, tried twice to hit Pelle and was blocked each time, first with Pelle’s right hand, then with his left.
A wild ending to a wild night in Detroit. While it is true that the Pistons would have trouble winning the NIT, it was a major blow for the Knicks.
“Seeing a player like that just joined us to suffer an injury and to be able to wrap everything back up and make big blocks showed his energy, ” said Reggie Bullock, who was the star of the night, scoring 22 points and drawing one career record with six points out of 3. “He is a Knick type player with the courage to continue playing. We love that fight of his. ”
It was just a small moment, but symbolic of the toughness that Tom Thibodeau’s club showed over 50 games. Thibodeau admitted before the game that he didn’t know much about Pelle, who played for 76ers, Kings and Nets.
“Our scouts liked him a lot, ” he said.
Thibodeau now knows why. He likes defensive petty centers that smile at dislocated fingers.
“Very remarkable,” said Thibodeau. “The guy didn’t do any training. He was ready to go. It looked ugly. You liked that he wanted to stay home. That’s why we brought it – the protection of the rim. That said a lot about him. Obviously satisfied with the way he played in that short period there. ”
It was just a bizarre night. The Knicks had an advantage of 30 points in the middle of the second quarter and increased it to 40 in the final period. The initial results were ridiculous – 14-0, 16-1, 24-3. The few fans available should demand their money back, although some were dressed in Knicks T-shirts.
“I just loved the team spirit and unity, ” said Thibodeau. “They were great in the film session, the step-by-step and the beginning of the game set the tone with altruism and how we protect. ”
Nothing is a gimme in this championship, especially on the second night in a row. Remember, the Knicks collapsed against the worst NBA team in the fourth quarter in Minnesota on Wednesday.
After a terrible night against Dallas on Friday, Julius Randle found his star and shook his head on 20 of the 41 points in the first quarter. Randle and Bullock drained four points of 3 points each in the 12-minute masterpiece.
Judging by how the Pistons didn’t seem to care, you can imagine that Detroit (14-35) will give Minnesota (12-38) a run for their money for the NBA’s worst record. The pistons are in the tank train. Gonzaga’s hero, Jalen Suggs, can exchange his Bulldog uniform for that of the Pistons. Poor boy. At least the Knicks have a choice of the Pistons’ second round, which could be the 31st overall position.
The Knicks made no move in the negotiation timeframe and did nothing in the acquisition market, other than putting paint on Pelle, to be the pivot behind Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson.
Whether they regret not taking a tougher charge against the men on the backcourt Victor Oladipo, Norman Powell, Lonzo Ball or little striker Evan Fournier will depend on how important point guard Derrick Rose, obtained in a trade on Sunday, of the Super Bowl.
“Each team is fighting for something now, and the team that is not playing for something, they would [like] be the team that beat us in the playoffs, ” Rose said. “That’s what the NBA is about. Boys are not allowed. “
They were men in Detroit on Saturday.