WHAT IT MEANS: The Knicks needed an easy win in the worst way and they got it, earning their first two-game winning streak of the season and demolishing the Detroit Pistons at the Palace in Auburn Hills. New York outplayed Detroit in every facet and for the first time this season, the Knicks at least looked like a playoff team, the type that manhandles bad teams on the road.

SHUMPERT GETS THE START: Rookie Iman Shumpert didn’t rock the world in his first start but he was solid. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni sorely needed energy from the opening tipoff and Shumpert gave him that. He had five points early and the Knicks were shooting 75 percent from the field when he went to the bench with two quick fouls midway through the first quarter. He picked up third foul with 8:23 left in the first half which limited him in the first half. But the rookie finished with 11 points, three assists and a pair of alley-oop dunks.

BIBBY GIVES A SPARK: The offense stuttered when Toney Douglas replaced Shumpert with 5:43 left in the first quarter. But Mike Bibby continued his sharp shooting, hitting four 3-pointers during a 39-point second quarter for the Knicks. New York scored a season-high 64 points in the first half and the veteran guard finished with a season-high 16 points (14 in the first half).

PLAYING SOME “D” IN THE D: The Pistons are the worst offensive team in the league. They came into the game ranked 30^th in scoring and averaging 84.9 points per game. The Knicks held them to just 37 percent shooting from the field and 80 points, the lowest output for an opponent this season. They outscored Detroit 39-18 in the second quarter, demoralizing the 2-6 Pistons and providing some much-needed rest to Carmelo Anthony (31 minutes), Amare Stoudemire (29 minutes) and Tyson Chandler (29 minutes).

SHARING IS CARING: Ball movement and offensive flow had been problems for the Knicks but everything clicked Saturday night. The Knicks had 26 assists on 39 buckets.

MELO’S STREAK DONE: Anthony scored below 20 points for the second time this season. He finished with just 13 points and shot 5-for-14. He had previously had three straight 30-plus scoring games, including 37 Friday night against Washington. But the Knicks didn’t need his offense this time. The team had six scorers in double-digits led by Stoudemire with 22 points and 8 rebounds.

WORLD RUNS ON DUNKING: Anthony also proved he isn’t feeling any negative effects from tweaking his back late in the game against Washington. He served Detroit’s Greg Monroe with a facial tomahawk in the second quarter. Stoudemire also posterized Monroe in the third quarter, Shumpert converted on two alley-oop dunks and even Renaldo Balkman recorded a thunderous follow-up dunk.

UP NEXT: The Knicks will try to make it three in a row when they seek revenge against Charlotte at home Monday at 7:30 p.m.