Pistons edged 113-111 by Knicks in chaotic finish

Madison Square Garden was the site of several reunions on Monday night.

Less than three weeks after the Pistons and New York Knicks completed a trade-deadline deal that sent Bojan Bogadnovic and Alec Burks to the Big Apple in exchange for Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and Malachi Flynn, the two teams met for the second time this season.

It was a spoiled return to New York for the newly-acquired Pistons after they suffered a slim 113-111 loss to the Knicks in a game full of controversial moments late in the game. The loss marked six consecutive for the Pistons — their most defeats in a row since their seven-game skid in early January.

The Pistons trailed by one point with 58 seconds left when Grimes drove to the basket and scored a layup as the shot clock waned. Grimes saved the ball from going out of bounds on the next defensive possession and passed to Simone Fontecchi. From there, chaos ensued as the Knicks and Pistons traded turnovers.

Ausar Thompson came away with a steal with eight seconds left and tried to dribble by Jalen Brunson and Donte Divencenzo, but he lost the ball after Divencenzo dove into his legs with and official right in front of the play.

The pivotal moment led to a layup for Josh Hart, who was also fouled by Jalen Duren, which gave the Knicks a 112-111 lead with two seconds left. Hart missed the free throw, but Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed an offensive rebound and another free throw by Hart sealed the game.

Detroit trailed by three points with 5:23 left when Bogdanovic fouled Grimes on a corner 3-point attempt. The third-year Pistons guard knocked down all three from the stripe to tie the game at 101-101. With an opportunity to take the lead, Cade Cunningham threw an errant pass directly to Divencenzo, who drilled a 3 in transition.

The loss spoiled a near-perfect performance by Cunningham, who had one of his most efficient outings of the season under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

He finished with a game-high 32 points, five rebounds and eight assists. He connected on 10-of-19 from the field and knocked down five of his seven 3-pointers. He also managed to get to the free-throw line for the first time in three games. He knocked down seven of his eight attempts from the stripe.

The Knicks were shorthanded without Julius Randle, O.G. Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, but they still had an All-Star in the lineup. Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with a double-double of 35 points and 12 assists. Hart added 23 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Divencenzo knocked down five 3-pointers en route to 21 points and four assists.

Bogdanovic and Burks, who spent 1.5 seasons in Detroit, stood side-by-side during the playing of the national anthem. The latter veteran checked into the game at the 2:41 mark of the first quarter and knocked down a 3-pointer upon his entrance.

He also used his craftiness to draw a foul while converting on a midrange bucket in the first half — a habit that his old teammates grew accustomed to. He finished with seven points.

Bogdanovic also entered for the Knicks with two minutes left in the first quarter. In Detroit, he played the second option on offense next to Cunningham. He has a new role in New York and came off the bench looking to score against his former team. He knocked down two triples in the first half and finshed with 13 points and six rebounds.

Grimes, Fournier and Flynn combined for 33 points off the Pistons bench. Grimes had 14 points with three blocks on 4-of-9 shooting. Fournier had four points and two steals on 3-of-5 from the field. Flynn finished with eight points, three rebounds and two assists.

Marcus Sasser missed his second consectutive game due to a left knee contusion, which will sideline him for at least the next four games.

The Pistons could get some relief, especailly defensively, on Tuesday at Chicago when Isaiah Stewart is eligible to return from his three-game suspension.

The game was originially scheduled as a home game for the Pistons, but it was switched to New York due to scheduling difficulties with the inagural In-Season Tournament.

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

@MikeACurtis2