Jalen Brunson overcame an apparent ankle scare and led a furious fourth-quarter surge as the New York Knicks defeated the Detroit Pistons 123-112 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden to open their first-round playoff series.
Brunson scored 34 points, including 16 in the final quarter, after briefly leaving the court late in the third with what looked like a shoe change—and possibly more.
Karl-Anthony Towns delivered 23 points and 11 rebounds in his Knicks playoff debut, while OG Anunoby also poured in 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
New York trailed 98-90 early in the fourth before unleashing a 21-0 run that flipped the game and sent the MSG crowd into a frenzy.
Cam Payne sparked the comeback off the bench, scoring 11 of his 14 points during that decisive stretch, including a go-ahead three-pointer that capped 17 unanswered points by Payne and Brunson.
Josh Hart contributed with timely hustle plays, adding 13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while the Knicks shot 52.7% from the field and held Detroit scoreless for nearly five minutes during their surge.
The Pistons had controlled much of the game, leading by eight entering the fourth and appearing poised to end their NBA-record 14-game postseason losing streak.
Tobias Harris finished with 25 points but was limited to just three after halftime, and Cade Cunningham recorded 21 points and 12 assists but shot 8-for-21 in his playoff debut.
Detroit’s three-point shooting kept them in control through three quarters, hitting 15-of-32 from deep, led by Malik Beasley’s six triples off the bench.
However, the Knicks’ defensive intensity and offensive execution down the stretch exposed the Pistons’ inexperience, especially in crunch time.
Brunson, who missed 15 games late in the regular season due to a right ankle sprain, struggled early with a 4-for-15 start but finished strong with 12-of-27 overall shooting and 8 assists.
New York’s Game 1 victory marked its third straight win over Detroit this season and set the tone in a series between the East’s third and sixth seeds.
The Pistons, still searching for their first playoff win since 2008, will attempt to regroup ahead of Game 2, which is scheduled for Monday night in New York.
