Three weeks after an amicable divorce from the Detroit Pistons, Derrick Rose returned to the Motor City with the New York Knicks.
This game was not one with any ill will. Rose and the Pistons mutually agreed to part ways. The Knicks just happened to be the team with the best trade offer.
Except since reuniting with Rose, the Knicks have gone 6-3. Entering Sunday’s game, they were tied with the Toronto Raptors for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference.
All this to say the team has looked motivated as of late, and playing the East-worst Pistons provided for ideal circumstances.