Tyler Kolek didn’t need to score to make the moment pop at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks guard turned a loose possession against the Detroit Pistons into the kind of play that gets the whole building buzzing, flipping a behind-the-back pass to Karl-Anthony Towns for a dunk after first missing a layup in the fourth quarter. The sequence began when Ausar Thompson grabbed the rebound, but Kolek stayed with it, swiped the ball away, and then found Towns with his back to the target. The finish gave New York a 25-point cushion and sent Spike Lee shooting out of his seat for a standing ovation.
Lee was one of several familiar faces in the crowd. Fat Joe and Ben Stiller were also courtside for the game at Madison Square Garden, part of the Knicks’ usual roster of celebrity fans.
Kolek’s recent minutes have come with Jose Alvarado sidelined. Over the last two games, he has logged 26 minutes, and while he still has yet to make a field goal, he did knock down two free throws against Detroit. He also handed out nine assists against the Orlando Magic and came away with two steals against the Pistons.
The win was New York’s first of the season after an 0-3 start, while Detroit suffered its first loss after opening undefeated. Last season, the Pistons swept the Knicks in the regular season, taking all three meetings, and the two teams did not see each other in the playoffs despite Detroit finishing as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Both teams are back on the floor the next night. Detroit hosts the Charlotte Hornets, and New York heads to Chicago to face the Bulls. The Knicks then travel to Philadelphia to meet the 76ers on Friday, Oct. 30, after dropping their Opening Night game to them.
In Other News...
Knicks May Have Pulled Off Another Quiet Draft-Night Win
The Knicks used the 30th pick on Sergio de Larrea, then quickly turned that selection into a different kind of asset by sending his rights to the Mavericks for two future second-round picks. It was the sort of maneuver that fits neatly with how New York has tried to work around its salary cap limitations, squeezing value wherever it can find it instead of simply standing pat on draft night.
De Larrea was already playing professionally in Spain, and soon after the draft he helped Valencia win the Liga ACB title, adding another layer to a player the Knicks never intended to keep. New York also knew Dallas had been linked to him and had the front office ties to make the deal work, which is why this looked less like a pass on a prospect and more like a calculated bet on information and timing. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Just Got Pulled Into A Wild Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Idea
The Knicks have been pulled into an early-season trade idea that already feels bigger than the standings around it. Miami opened with a 0-4 start after reshaping its roster in a blockbuster deal with Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, and the rough beginning has only fueled chatter about how the new pieces fit with Bam Adebayo still anchoring the frontcourt.
What makes the speculation more interesting from New Yorks side is the path some are floating to get there: a swap centered on Adebayo and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Karl-Anthony Towns. Nothing has been confirmed by Miami, and the Heat could easily give the group more time to settle in, but the mere fact the Knicks are part of this kind of conversation says a lot about how quickly the league starts chasing the next big idea when a new roster stumbles out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Already Have A Real Andre Drummond Debate On Their Hands
Andre Drummonds first few weeks as the Knicks backup center have already turned into a small but real rotation conversation. He opened the 2026-27 season with a double-double, then saw his minutes dip in the next games as Mike Brown adjusted the lineup, a familiar kind of early-season sorting-out process for a team still figuring out how it wants to use its depth. Even so, Brown has made clear Drummond remains in the backup mix, which matters for a bench frontcourt that needs a dependable presence when the starters sit.
Drummond gave the Knicks a reminder of why that role is worth monitoring in the win over Detroit, when he scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 14 minutes. It was a cleaner, more productive showing than some of his earlier outings, and it gave New York a useful glimpse of what he can offer when the minutes are there. The larger question now is whether that performance is the start of a steadier climb back into a bigger share of the center rotation. [Read more 🡒]