NBA Score: Kristaps Porzingis Has Record Night, Leads New York Knicks Over Detroit Pistons

There is going to be plenty of big games before the NBA career of Kristaps Porzingis is said and done. Against the Detroit Pistons, he had his biggest night yet. Porzingis led the New York Knicks to a 105-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, as reported by ESPN.

Sit down, relax, & WATCH @kporzee go for a career-high 35 in these HIGHLIGHTS! #Knicks #NYKvsDET pic.twitter.com/UI5E8BQCt0

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 17, 2016

Kristaps Porzingis took over the New York Knicks’ offense on Wednesday night. His 22 attempted shots were more than any of his teammates. Porzingis hit enough of his shots to score 35 points, which is his career high in the NBA. The 7-foot-3 forward hit three shots from the outside, while also getting to the free-throw line seven times, missing only one of his shots from the charity stripe.

Carmelo Anthony will eventually need to embrace a second fiddle role to Kristaps Porzingis, and he looked really great at it against the Detroit Pistons. The veteran forward put up 22 points, while shooting a very efficient 4-of-6 from beyond the three-point line.

Derrick Rose was not great at distributing the ball, but he did help the New York Knicks with 15 points. The team is not expecting the often-injured guard to lead the NBA in assists or anything, but it would be nice if he had more than three during a game.

Joakim Noah was benched during the second half of the game against the Dallas Mavericks, but the veteran center took it like a professional. He remained ready to play, as evidenced by his 15 rebounds and three blocks against the Detroit Pistons. There might be more games where he is asked to stay on the sidelines because the New York Knicks want to see what Kristaps Porzingis can do at the center position.

The bench provided a little bit of support for the New York Knicks. Justin Holiday had nine points and five rebounds. Brandon Jennings struggled with his shot, but he did have seven assists. Backup center Kyle O’Quinn added five rebounds and three blocks.

Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy used a tightened rotation and received a very well balanced attack on offense. Ish Smith, Kentavious Caldwell Pope, Tobias Harris, Andre Drummond, and backup forward Jon Leuer scored in double figures, which made it harder for the New York Knicks defense to concentrate on any individual scorer.

Jon Leuer is quietly one of the best and more reliable bench players in the NBA. Against the New York Knicks, Stan Van Gundy gave him 27 minutes, and he rewarded his coach with 17 points and nine rebounds.

Veteran guard Ish Smith is proving to the Detroit Pistons that he is a capable replacement for Reggie Jackson, who is said to be making progress in rehabilitation. In addition to hitting six out of the seven shots that he took, Smith also dished out eight assists and stole the ball twice. His presence means that Jackson does not need to rush back before his injury is fully healed.

With the loss, the Detroit Pistons fell to a 6-6 record. The team simply is having trouble winning games on the road. Thus far this season, the Pistons have only been able to do it once. It will be hard to keep up with the dominant Cleveland Cavaliers and surging Chicago Bulls if they do not find a resolution to their road woes.

Thanks to a two-game winning streak, the New York Knicks are only two games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division. Of course, it is still very early in the season, so it is more important for the Knicks to figure out how to build chemistry with all of their new pieces.

[Featured Image by Michael Reaves/Getty Images]