Pistons vs. Knicks: New York Will Miss 3 Key Players on Monday

The New York Knicks will host the Detroit Pistons on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The matchup marks the first between the two Eastern Conference squads this season.

It will be a game of reunions, as both teams swapped players earlier this month ahead of the trade deadline. The players involved in the trade are expected to be available, including Quentin Grimes, who made his Pistons debut on Saturday night against the Orlando Magic.

Both teams will miss key players, however. On Detroit’s side, they are set to be without their starting big man, Isaiah Stewart, as he serves the third and final game of his league-issued suspension. As for the rookie guard Marcus Sasser, he’s dealing with a knee contusion, which will force him to miss a week’s worth of action.

As for the Knicks, they’ve dealt with a handful of key injuries throughout the year. The first was the veteran big man Mitchell Robinson, who underwent ankle surgery a couple of months back. This season, Robinson appeared in 21 games for the Knicks, averaging nearly 30 minutes on the floor.

When Robinson initially dealt with his setback in early December, it was assumed he might miss a couple of months. At this point, Robinson is likely to miss the remainder of the regular season.

Beyond Robinson, the Knicks have also been without their starting forward, Julius Randle. Late last month, he dislocated his shoulder during a matchup against the Miami Heat. After wrapping up his night with a 19-point performance in 32 minutes, Randle was aware he would miss time moving forward. While his injury isn’t expected to end his season, Randle will miss his 12th straight game against the Pistons on Monday night.

Lastly, the Knicks will be without one of their newly acquired player, OG Anunoby. In a season where the Knicks made multiple trades to shake up their roster, they made a notable swing and hit on Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors.

The veteran wing proved to be a stellar addition. Through his first 14 games in a Knicks uniform, Anunoby averaged 16 points while draining 52 percent of his shots from the field. He maintained his reputation as one of the league’s elite two-way wings, helping the Knicks achieve a 12-2 record when he was competing.

After getting surgery on his elbow, Anunoby has missed an extended period of time, dating back to late January. Monday night will make it 12 absences in a row for Anunoby.

The Pistons and the Knicks are set to tip-off at 7 PM ET.