Brown’s return to Motown leaves Knicks singing the blues

Tayshaun Prince added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who have won three in a row and improved to 12-2 on the season. Ben Wallace added 15 points and 11 boards as Detroit defeated the Knicks for a fifth straight time, but for the first time with its former head coach on New York’s sideline.

Jamal Crawford had 22 points to lead New York, which trailed by as many as 19 points and scored just eight third-quarter points. Channing Frye tallied 21 points as the Knicks have alternated wins and losses over their last six games.

Brown, who led Detroit to the NBA title two years ago, left the Pistons after last season and accepted the Knicks’ job shortly there after. New York got off to an 0-5 start this year, while the Pistons shot out to an 8-0 beginning under new head coach Flip Saunders. The Knicks have rebounded of late, going 5-5 in their last 10, but the Pistons continue to prove their the best team in the Eastern Conference.

With the game tied at 59-59 coming out of halftime and 61-61 early in the third quarter, the Knicks’ drought began. The club would score only six more points the remainder of the stanza and go into the fourth down 83-67.

New York, however, didn’t quit and made it a game late.

Following a Wallace free throw that made the score 86-67 early in the fourth, the Knicks went on a 21-7 run to draw within five points, 93-88. Crawford’s bucket with under 3 1/2 minutes remaining capped the burst.

The Knicks, though, couldn’t get any closer as the Pistons continued to have an answer the rest of the way.

New York last beat the Pistons on February 17, 2004 at Madison Square Garden. The Pistons have also won seven in a row at home versus the Knicks.

The Knicks, who led 28-26 after one quarter, shot 45.1 percent from the field for the game. The club, however, hit only 2-of-7 three-pointers in the contest.

Detroit hit 54.4 percent of its shots.

Game Notes

Before the opening tip, all five Pistons starters went to the Knicks bench and greeted Brown with a hug...Stephon Marbury had 11 points and 11 assists for the Knicks...Chauncey Billups tallied an identical 11 points and 11 assists for the Pistons...Every New York player that saw time scored at least two points except for David Lee, who was held scoreless...The Knicks bench outscored the Pistons’ 64-18.