National Basketball Association

Pistons rally late to beat Knicks

Published Mar. 18, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Chris Wilcox threw down a one-handed dunk off a missed shot with 53 seconds left, and the Detroit Pistons rallied from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the New York Knicks 99-95 on Friday night.

After Wilcox's dunk gave Detroit a two-point lead, Carmelo Anthony drove past Tayshaun Prince, but Wilcox was there defensively to force a missed shot. After Will Bynum missed on the Pistons' next possession, Wilcox helped keep the ball alive, and Detroit came up with it. Bynum made two free throws with 11 seconds left for the final margin.

Anthony felt he was fouled on his drive in the final minute. He finished with six points on 2 of 12 shooting.

Wilcox finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, one of six Pistons in double figures. Amare Stoudemire and Toney Douglas scored 20 points apiece for New York.

Detroit's Richard Hamilton missed the game because of the death of his grandfather, and the Pistons started an odd lineup in his absence. Detroit's backcourt of 6-foot-8 Tracy McGrady and 6-11 Austin Daye was the tallest to start a game in the NBA since at least 1986-87, according to STATS, LLC.

In the end, however, it was the Detroit bench that helped the Pistons rally. Except for Prince, who played the final 1:40, not a single Detroit starter played in the fourth quarter.

Detroit trailed 81-70 early in the fourth before going on a 19-5 run. Charlie Villanueva made three 3-pointers during that stretch, and Bynum - who played the entire fourth quarter after sitting out the first three - capped the run with a reverse layup and then a free throw moments later to put the Pistons ahead 89-86.

The Knicks moved back ahead, but Detroit tied it when former Piston Chauncey Billups missed an outside shot for New York, and Rodney Stuckey beat the Knicks down the court for a layup to tie it at 95.

Detroit scored eight straight points early in the third quarter to take a 63-55 lead, but after Stoudemire and Prince traded baskets, the Knicks went on a 17-0 run. Billups scored the first seven points, then Stoudemire put New York ahead with a powerful one-handed dunk over Greg Monroe while drawing a foul. The three-point play gave the Knicks a 67-65 lead.

Douglas made a 3-pointer from the right corner, and Shawne Williams added a dunk on a fast break to push the lead to seven. Douglas scored again before Detroit finally scored with 1:30 left in the period when New York was called for a defensive 3-second violation and Ben Gordon made the free throw.

Notes: The Knicks shot 12 of 31 from 3-point range, a day after making a team-record 20 shots from beyond the arc in a win over Memphis. Douglas made nine 3-pointers in that game. He made four against the Pistons. ... Prince led Detroit with 16 points.