CHICAGO -- Still in the hunt for a playoffs berth in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons had a golden opportunity to gain some headway Friday night when they hosted the hapless, Carmelo Anthony-less New York Knicks.
It turned out be a massive opportunity loss as Detroit shot just 40.2 percent from the field and fell to the Knicks in double overtime, 121-115, at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Andre Drummond, who tallied 21 points and 15 rebounds, could have given the Pistons the winning margin in the final 12 seconds of the first overtime, but he missed the go-ahead free throw.
The Knicks made the most out of the second chance and outscored the Pistons, 16-10, in the second extra session.
"We've had a lot of these games. If you aren't going to play defense and rebound, that's going to happen," Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy told ESPN after his team dropped to 23-35 and 12th place in the East. A win would have given them a share of the eighth and last playoffs berth.
Despite their thrilling win, the Knicks remained the worst team in the league with an 11-46 card.
Center Andrea Bargnani, who has been limited by injuries this season, showed fine form and carded 25 points and 12 rebounds. Lou Amundson finished with 17 points and 14 boards, while Tim Hardaway Jr. knocked down 18 for New York, which made 41.3 percent of their shots.
Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 28 markers and 13 boards. (HDS)
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