'Can't Be This Bad,' KAT Talks Poor Play as Jalen Brunson Calls Out Knicks After Loss

In the midst of their first extended slump of the season, New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns didn't hold back in talking about how things are going after Monday's 121-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Speaking to reporters following the Knicks' 31-point defeat, Towns emphasized that they "can't be this bad" if they want to reach their ceiling.

"It's cool to be in a funk, [stuff] happens in the course of a season," Towns said. "But this is a bad, bad time. You can't be this bad."

Towns specifically pointed out that he is still trying to find a role he is comfortable with in first-year head coach Mike Brown's system.

"The biggest adjustment is for me," Towns said. "Mike (Brown) said I have the biggest sacrifice. We're going to figure it out."

Brunson wasn't as blunt with his assessment, simply saying that "a lot needs to be addressed" right now without explaining what those things are.

"We just gotta respond. A lot more needs to be said. We keep it internal," he said. If we want to be the team we say we want to be, we have to be better, simple as that."

Brunson scored 25 points against the Pistons, but he was held without an assist and committed six turnovers. It was his first game without recording an assist in a game he didn't leave due to injury since March 21, 2022, his final season with the Dallas Mavericks.

Towns was held to six points and also committed six turnovers. It was his second-lowest point total in a game this season, ahead of only his two-point effort against the Miami Heat on Dec. 21.

Monday's loss to the Pistons was New York's fourth straight, its longest such streak since February 2024. All four losses came against teams with winning records, with each of the last three coming by at least 11 points.

The Knicks were 1.5 games behind the Pistons for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference before this losing streak started. They are now third in the East, one game back in the loss column of the Boston Celtics for the second seed.

Brunson, Towns and the Knicks will return home on Wednesday to host the Los Angeles Clippers before starting a four-game Western Conference road trip on Friday.