In his regular pregame press conference, Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni said his team would be fine if they could simply put some points on the board.

D'Antoni got what he asked for, as the Knicks outscored the Detroit Pistons, 113-86, on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden after losing three-straight games by scoring less than 90 points in each contest.

Carmelo Anthony led New York's offensive outburst with 25 points, the 12th time he has scored 20 or more this season. (Reuters/Nikki Boertman)

"We made shots," said D'Antoni after the game. "That is the biggest thing."

The Knicks shot a season-best 60 percent from the field on 42-of-70 shooting. It was a breakout scoring spree compared to the poor shooting performances of the past few games.

Like us on Facebook

Tyson Chandler said that finding the open man became "contagious" in a manner that Detroit had no answer for.

The Knicks were in desperate need for some momentum as they prepare to play three games in three nights starting Friday against the Eastern Conference-best Chicago Bulls (18-5), followed by the Boston Celtics (10-10) on the road, and ending with the New Jersey Nets (7-15) at the Garden.

"We were moving the ball and it was just going in tonight," said Landry Fields, after the game. "We wanted to make a statement going into the next three games and I think we did just that."

The Knicks got off to a hot and efficient start from the open tip off, scoring 33 points in the first quarter and converting all five three-point attempts.

Fields finished the game with 18 points, and converted four-of-six shots from beyond the arc. He was also among four Knicks who finished the game in double figures in what was perhaps the team's most balanced scoring performance of the season.

The Knicks also stepped up their defense against the Pistons. The Knicks finished with 12 steals (five coming from Fields), six blocked shots, and forced 22 turnovers.

"When we play good defense, like we did tonight, it turns into easy points on offense," Fields said.

Carmelo Anthony, who had missed two-straight games with a sprained wrist, thumb and ankle, was the main spark for New York's much-needed offensive outburst, scoring a team high 25 points and six assists.

The sprained ankle didn't seem to bother Anthony too much as the star forward looked comfortable with his jump shot and dribble penetration. After some pregame workouts, Anthony said his ankle felt much improved.

"My legs felt great out there tonight," Anthony said. "I felt refreshed. Taking these days off really helped me out big time. I can feel my explosiveness back."

Detroit's Jonas Jerebko scored a team-high 15 points and Greg Monroe added 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Pistons, who have lost their sixth straight. The Pistons have dropped to a 4-19 record and have struggled due to injuries to Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Will Bynum.

"We're not even putting ourselves in a position where these games are in doubt," said Pistons coach Lawrence Frank. "We're all embarrassed that we're not doing better. We all have to raise our hands and figure out ways we can improve."

While the Pistons regroup after Tuesday's loss, the Knicks face tougher competition at the Garden on Thursday when they face the Bulls. Chicago has one of the best defenses in the NBA, and scoring 100 points against Tom Thibodeau's squad is not an easy task.

The Bulls are second in the league in points allowed (87.4 points per game) and have 14-3 record when holding opponents under 100 points.

A win against Chicago would do far more for the Knicks' confidence than a victory over the lowly Pistons.

"We have to build off this," D'Antoni said. "It is one game. Thursday we will find out. That is the next step."

To contact the editor, e-mail: