Jalen Brunson Moves Knicks to Next Round

Set to face the luck of the Irish, the New York Knicks appear well-poised to rely on Jalen Brunson instead.

Brunson propelled the Knicks to another NBA playoff series victory with brilliant bookends, closing out another sterling scoring effort with a game-winning triple that served as the difference in a 116-113 Eastern Conference quarterfinal closing win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena. The win officially secured a second-round date with the defending champion Boston Celtics, which is set to tip off on Monday.

Brunson's game-winning triple with just over five seconds remaining created the last three tallies of a 40-point showing, which began with Brunson scoring 15 on seven successful field goals in the opening quarter, tying the record he shares with Allan Houston for most in a Knicks playoff period. The final shot made history in more ways than one, as Brunson earned his seventh Knick playoff game with at least 40 points, tying Bernard King's team record.

May 1, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) in the first half during game six of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Knicks thus secured a 4-2 series victory in the conference quarterfinal portion, earning at least one playoff series victory in three straight seasons for the first time since 1992-2000. New York secured the victory by winning all three games staged in the Motor City, leaving the Pistons still yearning for their first playoff victory in front of a home crowd in 17 years.

Brunson rendered his brutal fifth-game showing long-forgotten by nearly matching his prior contests' point in the first period alone. The opening dozen saw the Knicks jump out to a 37-23 lead, as Brunson put in 25 points of that tally with four assists to help out.

Fighting for its postseason life, Detroit ensured that the series would keep its narrow nature. The Pistons let no Knick scorer advance beyond five points in the second and built a slim yet formidable lead with five three-pointers from Malik Beasley. The Knicks did manage to flip one script, winning the third quarter by 13 behind a united 21 points from Brunson and Mikal Bridges. It was the first third period the Knicks won this postseason.

Deja vu, however, nearly bit the Knicks in the scariest form of bookends: having previously downed Detroit in Game 1 with a late run, the Knicks fell victim to one-sided madness on the scoreboard, as the Pistons erased as a deficit that reached as high as 12 with a 20-2 run, including a stretch of 13 straight. The Knicks thus faced a a seven-point deficit and the most dreary trip home, one that would've featured a winner-take-all Game 7.

But that's when Brunson went to work and officially moved the Knicks' name on the bracket: the captain got things rolling with a scoring drive that produced a free throw awarded after an unsuccessful Detroit challenge. The old-fashioned three-pointer narrowed the gap to four immediately before another double created a one-possession game before the penultimate minute let out.

The Knicks' luck seemed to run out when Karl-Anthony Towns made only one of two free throws after a Jalen Duren foul. The latter, sent to line by Towns' sixth foul, then hit one of his own to re-establish the two-point lead, and a Brunson equalizer fell short in the mid-range. Bridges, however, tapped the misfire back in to knot the game at 113-all and cap off a perfect shooting output in the fourth quarter, scoring the last two of 25 points.

May 1, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons guard Dennis Schroder (17) in the first half during game six of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

But a quick miss from Cade Cunningham afforded the Knicks not only a possession but a chance to hold for the last shot. Brunson didn't exactly accomplish that fully, but no one in New York is going to complaint upon the completion of his latest clutch mastery and full vindication of his Clutch Player of the Year title. Detroit didn't even get a chance to fire off another series extender, as an open Beasley dropped a pass intended for him with less than a second remaining, allowing the Knicks to commence their celebration.

Thus ended the Pistons' magical season, one that saw them end a six-year postseason drought and more than triple last year's win total of 14. Cunningham at least went out in style, leading the team with 23 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and three steals while losing only three turnovers.

Finally past the Pistons, New York now faces the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinal round. It will be the 15th series between the New York and New England rivals (the second-most frequent matchup in NBA playoff history), and the first since the Knicks' six-game victory in 2013's opening round.

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