Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns Guide Knicks to Thrilling 3-1 Lead

For at least 24 hours, no New York Knicks fan in their right mind will be complaining about the Karl-Anthony Towns' trade.

Towns' three-pointer in the final minute allowed the Knicks to complete an epic comeback and earn a 94-93 win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. New York swept the scheduled couple at Little Caesars Arena by a combined three points and now lead the best-of-seven set by a 3-1 tally.

It was the last of 27 points for Towns, who lived up to his role as metropolitan headliner with Brunson, as the duo united for 59 points in the win.

One could hardly envision the result landing in the Knicks' favor after the way the prior period ended: a nightmarish third fame ended on appropriately macabre note: a 28-14 final deficit in the frame was nothing compared to the sight of a pained Brunson huddled in front of the scorers table after a tie-up with Dennis Schroder. He appeared to be nursing the right ankle that kept him out for a month of regular season action and briefly went to the New York locker room before emrging at the start of the fourth.

Apr 27, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) hits a three point basket late in the fourth quarter of game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

The only ones pained, however, were those who did not vote for Brunson in the Clutch Player of the Year questionnaire: Brunson returned to score nearly half of his 32 points in the last 10 minutes, completing a comeback from a deficit that reached as high as 11.

Both sides seemed destined to take a sizable victory at different point in the game: fueled by earning 13 points off a dozen Detroit turnovers, the Knicks opened with a lead that reached as high as 16 before Detroit embarked on an 11-2 run over the last 2:14 of the half.

It was a sluggish start to the game, one that saw both teams unite to shoot less than 22 percent from three-point range (though the Knicks hit six, including two each for Brunson and Josh Hart) and featured 19 interruptions for personal fouls alone and that doesn't count the extended stallings for get-togethers after the whistle, with Towns and Tobias Harris constantly trying to goad each other into extracirriculars.

The Pistons' momentum, further boosted by a crowd starving to see the franchise's first playoff win at home since the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals, carried over into the third, which saw them limit the Knicks to five field goals.

Knicks beyond Brunson and Towns were a combined 1-of-10 in the frame, which saw the Pistons swipe the lead back before the midway mark. Franchise face Cade Cunningham did a little bit of everything, filling almost every major box score column with 12 points (6-of-7 from the field), three blocks, and five assists and rebounds each. With additional possessions created through the latter stats, Cunningham had some sort of role in all but two points in the frame.

Apr 27, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) defends against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the first quarter of game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

That allowed Detroit to jump ahead by double figures but Brunson returned to the game just before the 10-minute mark, tipping off an epic comeback that will no doubt be long remembered by the Knicks and their fans. Brunson, Towns, and Mikal Bridges scored all but one point for the Knicks in the fourth and united to shoot 12-of-18.

Despite the comeback, the Pistons still had a chance to win the game on a last possession, this one earned by their own defensive merit rather than a loophole in time. Cunningham (25 points, 10 assists/rebounds) earned the first triple-double of his postseason career, but missed a go-ahead mid-range tally with seven seconds left.

With the offensive rebound squirting free, former Knick Tim Hardaway Jr. got a hold of it and put one up from deep, one that fell short to officially place the game in the Knicks' favor. Despite vigorous protests from Hardaway and Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, officials ruled no foul on Hart's defense and awarded the Knicks the win and extended the Pistons' home postseason losing streak to nine to ty an unwanted NBA record (1968-71, Philadelphia).

The series will move back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5, which will be staged on Tuesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT).

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