Jalen Brunson put Ausar Thompson on skates to sink the go-ahead three-point dagger with 4.3 seconds remaining to punch the New York Knicks’ ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 116-113 Game 6 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena.
“We’re built for this s—t,” said Knicks forward Mikal Bridges.
“Jalen’s shot, what can you say?” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. “He’s at his best when his best is needed. He’s done it all year, that’s what makes him so special … Just showing the toughness. Get down then find a way to win at the end, but we got a lot of work to do.”
The Clutch Player of the Year poured in 40 points to send his team to the next round, putting on a masterclass down the stretch to overturn a seven-point Pistons lead with 2:36 remaining in regulation.
Fueled by the star guard, the Knicks ended the game on an 11-1 run.
“I stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure my teammates give me,” Brunson said.
The Captain was consistent all night long, shooting at a 45% clip. In addition to Brunson’s dominance, New York received contributions from Bridges and OG Anunoby.
Bridges put together his best performance of the playoffs thus far, scoring 23 points at a 66.6% clip, while adding three rebounds and three assists. He finally had his moment, with a clutch put-back layup to knot the game up at 113 apiece with 36 seconds to go.
Anunoby finished with 22 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Yet again, he was tasked with maintaining Cade Cunningham, and he did a solid job of it this series. He held the 23-year-old scoreless from behind the arc, going 0-for-8.
In Game 5, the Knicks missed 11 free-throw attempts and lost by three. In Game 6, they went 24-of-30 from the charity stripe and won by three.
Malik Beasley and Cunningham carried the brunt of the load with their backs against the wall, but it wasn’t enough to force a Game 7.
Beasley poured in 20 points off the bench, while Cunningham scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out seven assists.
New York will ship up to Boston on Monday for Game 1 of the second round against the Celtics.
