Jalen Brunson did it again, somehow returning from the locker room after an apparent injury and taking over in the fourth quarter.
He needed help from Karl-Anthony Towns, who hit a pair of incredible shots in the final two minutes.
The Knicks escaped with a 94-93 win after Cade Cunningham and Tim Hardaway Jr. missed potential game-winning shots in the final seconds.
Detroit clawed back in the third quarter after the Knicks took a convincing lead early with stifling defense.