As 2025 came to a close, the New York Knicks intended to end the year on a positive note. On New Year’s Eve against the San Antonio Spurs, who they defeated earlier last month to capture the NBA Cup, the Knicks held a slim lead for the majority of the contest. That lasted until the fourth quarter when their defense failed to stop Julian Champagnie and De’Aaron Fox. The tandem was responsible for giving the Spurs the lead and handing New York its 10th loss just before the new year.

The Knicks were given a chance to redeem themselves by taking on the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden in their first game of the new year. In what could’ve been a crucial bounce-back victory, the Hawks dismantled the Knicks for 48 minutes in a 111-99 loss. A showdown with division rival Philadelphia 76ers gave New York another opportunity to put the pair of losses behind them. However, New York went through the same struggles, losing to a talented and young 76ers team 130-119.

The trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe dominated the Knicks’ defense, with each player scoring more than 25 points against New York’s starting lineup. To make matters even tougher for the Knicks, they will be on the road in their next game against the 26-9 Detroit Pistons. This is a must-win game for both teams, as they are the first and second-seeded teams in the Eastern Conference and must find a way to assert dominance over each other.

In the Knicks' case, that means snapping this three-game losing streak to dig themselves out of a hole they have been stuck in. I, for one, believe that they can do so if All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns is willing to step up his game in the face of tough competition.

Today’s Hottest Take: Towns Can be the Knicks' Driving Force if his shooting is on point.

Last season, Towns was a reliable source of shooting, which he used to propel the team to new heights, such as reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. At the start of this year, the superstar center was stuck in somewhat of a slump, falling out of sync with the rest of his team. He began to pick up the slack, posting two near 40-point games in November. He continued to prove his worth against tough opponents, but this came at the cost of another regression.

For example, he put up 20 points against the Spurs on New Year’s Eve only to sit out of the game against Atlanta. When faced by the 76ers' offense and Embiid, a fellow All-Star, Towns posted a 23-point double-double. It’s not a bad performance, but it falls short in comparison to Jalen Brunson’s 31 points. Towns’ three-point shooting was a massive area of concern, going 0-for-5 from long range.

If the Knicks want to take down the Pistons, their big man will need to have a stronger performance. I can see that happening if he can get his three-point shots to fall. That was something he did well during last year's playoff series against the Pistons, hitting four and five triples in back-to-back games. His shooting helped the Knicks defeat their rivals once, and it can happen again.

What You Need to Know: The Pistons are Coming Into This Game Performing Worse Than Expected

It would be an understatement to say that the Pistons have had a phenomenal start to the season, highlighted by their 13-game win streak in November. However, since then, they have begun to cool down, dropping back-to-back games and another to the Miami Heat on New Year’s Day. Detroit did manage to rebound from this by picking up another win.

However, I think that if they’ve struggled this much recently, then another loss is a possibility. That can come against the Knicks, whom they have yet to face this season. The Pistons' defense has been problematic, considering they allowed their past five opponents to score more than 110 points. If that’s the case, it might be even more of a challenge to stop the Knicks if Towns can have a dominant performance.

Towns will likely have an advantage over defenders Paul Reed and Isaiah Stewart, who have replaced Jalen Duran and Tobias Harris in the starting lineup. Duran and Harris are both out with injuries, providing the Knicks with an opportunity to take control of this game. Ultimately, that will depend heavily upon how Towns and the rest of the team perform against the injured Pistons in Monday’s game.