7:30 PM ET, November 5, 2014
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
It's been another forgettable start for the offensively-challenged Detroit Pistons, who haven't been able to find an identity under new coach Stan Van Gundy.
The New York Knicks are also having difficulty putting points on the board.
Detroit again goes for its first win Wednesday night when its hosts New York.
The Pistons are 0-3 for the fourth time in five seasons after falling 102-90 to Brooklyn in Saturday's home opener. Greg Monroe scored 18 points off the bench in his season debut after a two-game suspension for a drunk-driving arrest, but Detroit went 1 for 17 from 3-point range.
"Obviously, 5.9 percent isn't going to get you anywhere," Van Gundy said. "A lot of that is on me, because I still don't have a handle on what this team can do offensively."
The Pistons are averaging an NBA-low 86.7 points while shooting 40.2 percent, the league's second-worst mark. They're also last in 3-point percentage (21.9) and near the bottom with an average of 18.7 assists.
"We don't want to start off 0 and 3 -- that wasn't the start we expected -- but it is what it is. It's nothing we can't get out of," veteran Caron Butler told the team's official website.
"We've got the talent in place, we've got a great coach and coaching staff, got all the ability and drive to do it. Just keep playing, keep working hard and no excuses. No one's going to feel sorry for you. We've got more than enough in that locker room to win games. We're going to continue to move forward."
Detroit will try to get on track against New York (2-2), which had won seven straight in the series before dropping two of three last season.
A good portion of the Knicks' offensive struggles can be traced to Carmelo Anthony, who is averaging 21.3 points per game thus far after recording 27.4 last season to finish second in the NBA. The Knicks have been limited to an average of 88.5 points as they get accustomed to the new triangle offense.
New York pulled out narrow wins over Cleveland and Charlotte before falling 98-83 to Washington on Tuesday. Iman Shumpert and Anthony were the only Knicks to score in double figures with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Anthony finished 8 of 23 from the floor as the team shot 37.0 percent.
"Carmelo is trying to do everything he can to help us win right now. He's been patient offensively in terms of waiting for his spots and waiting for his opportunities," coach Derek Fisher said. "I think it got frustrating tonight for all of our guys not to be able to execute the things that we're capable of doing."
The Knicks have been outscored 63-32 in the third quarter in their losses, including 32-15 on Tuesday.
"As we continue to learn the offense we'll figure it out," forward Amar'e Stoudemire said. "Every game we're fighting our hearts out, and we're trying to win. We've put forth the effort, which is the most important thing. And as we continue to try and grind these games out, as we're learning, we'll get better."
Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging 5.8 points in limited minutes off the bench after scoring 10.2 per game as a rookie last season. The former Michigan star could come out with extra motivation in front of dad Tim Hardaway Sr., who is an assistant with the Pistons.
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Originally Posted by Mark Glantonio
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