3 Stars From Donte DiVincenzo’s Three-Point Showcase

With the Motor City fielding a lemon roster, the New York Knicks took no chances when the Detroit Pistons, missing eight regulars, came calling Monday night.

Behind a Donte DiVincenzo showcase from the depths, New York dominated Detroit in a 124-99 final at Madison Square Garden. A Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the Charlotte Hornets kept the Knicks (43-28) from capturing third place in the Eastern Conference, but they returned to a record 15 games above .500 with wins in five of their last six.

After single-digit wins against the hapless Pistons (12-60) in their first two meetings, the Knicks pulled away early, needing just over four minutes to inflate a one-point lead to 20, which remained mostly constant for the rest of the game. New York now hits the road for a couple, starting with Wednesday’s trip north to Toronto (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

Honorable mentions

• Precious Achiuwa: 16 rebounds, 9 points
• Isaiah Hartenstein: 10 rebounds, 6 points, 5 assists
• Bojan Bogdanovic: 13 points
• Miles McBride: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

3rd star: Josh Hart

It was another night where Hart did a little bit of everything, as he notched his sixth triple-double of the season with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. With 11 games remaining on the schedule, Hart is just two away from tying Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s record for most games in a single Knicks season.

2nd star: Jalen Brunson

With a score like that, it’s hard to believe there was any form of drama in Monday’s game. But when the Pistons cut their lead to just 17 at halftime, Brunson scored the first eight points of the third period to ensure the only drama in store was DiVincenzo’s pursuit of franchise history. team. He capped things off with an and-one chance, as part of a 28-point night built on 10-of-20 shooting. Between points and assists, Brunson played a role in 16 of the Knicks’ 36 third-period goals.

1st star: Donte DiVincenzo

DiVincenzo doesn’t count his three-pointers but Knicks fans certainly were: The first-year Manhattanite set the Knicks’ single-game record with 11 three-pointers Monday, breaking the mark he briefly shared with Monday’s opponent, Evan Fournier . DiVincenzo technically had 12 to set a new record. throughout the NBA season, but officials determined his foot was out of bounds on just one attempt. That did nothing to stop the party, however, as DiVincenzo scored the first 40-point game of his career in the victory. DiVincenzo finished the night 11-of-20 from three-point range, the result partly marred by late attempts to make history.