The New York Knicks made a bold decision during their Thursday night matchup against the Detroit Pistons, opting to keep Landry Shamet on the court over Mikal Bridges in the crucial moments. This choice, explained by Knicks head coach Mike Brown, was all about finding those much-needed points.
“Landry hit a couple shots down the stretch,” Brown shared after the Knicks' 126-111 loss to Cade Cunningham and the Pistons at Madison Square Garden. “We were looking to score points and Landry was the only one to hit shots from downtown tonight.”
Shamet logged more minutes in the second half, playing 15:36 compared to Bridges' 11:23. Shamet delivered with 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including 3-for-6 from beyond the arc in the latter half. Meanwhile, Bridges managed just two points on 1-for-3 shooting during the same period.
Despite Shamet's efforts, the Knicks couldn't keep pace with Cunningham and the Pistons, who shot an impressive 52 percent from the field and nailed 13 of their 30 attempts from deep.
The Knicks struggled with their shooting, hitting only 47 percent overall and a dismal 8-for-35 from three-point range. Shamet and Jalen Brunson were the bright spots from downtown, combining for a 6-for-15 performance. However, OG Anunoby, Jose Alvarado, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Bridges collectively went 2-for-20 from three, highlighting a night of missed opportunities.
Looking ahead, the Knicks aim to improve their shooting performance as they prepare to face the Houston Rockets at MSG on Saturday, hoping for a turnaround in their fortunes from beyond the arc.