Jalen Brunson delivered another clutch performance on Thursday night, dropping 40 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 116-113 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of their first-round series.
With 4.3 seconds left, Brunson used a between-the-legs crossover to free himself for a step-back three-pointer that silenced the Detroit crowd and gave the Knicks the win.
The All-Star guard, recently crowned the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, capped his night with a defiant gesture—blowing a kiss to the fans who had heckled him for the past three games.
New York advances to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they’ll face the second-seeded Boston Celtics beginning Monday night in Boston.
The Knicks nearly squandered double-digit leads in both the second and fourth quarters but came up with timely baskets and defensive stops down the stretch.
Mikal Bridges contributed 25 points while OG Anunoby added 22, including four makes from beyond the arc, as New York’s starting five combined for 110 points.
Detroit, which had stunned the league with its regular season turnaround and ended a long playoff drought, was eliminated on its home floor after failing to attempt a final shot.
Malik Beasley, who scored 20 points off the bench and shot 6-for-13 from deep, mishandled a pass with 0.4 seconds left, sealing the loss for the Pistons.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 23 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds but went 0-for-8 from three-point range and missed a crucial layup with 22 seconds left when the score was tied.
Tim Hardaway Jr. struggled again, finishing with just seven points on 3-of-11 shooting, as Detroit’s backcourt faltered in key moments.
Despite falling behind 112-105 with under three minutes remaining, the Knicks stormed back behind Brunson, who scored five quick points to swing momentum.
New York shot 47.7% from the field and made 10 of 30 from long range, while also outrebounding Detroit 43-36 and recording just 16 turnovers.
The Knicks are now four wins away from their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000.
