Jalen Brunson Writes Knicks' Happy Ending vs. Pistons

In what no doubt stands as one of the most shocking developments of the NBA postseason, the newly-minted Clutch Player of the Year proved to be ... well, clutch ... for the New York Knicks.

Jalen Brunson's latest Manhattan chapter may well be his most thrilling to date, as the Knicks captain sank the three-point shot that provided not only a 116-113 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series but also advancement on the NBA bracket to face the defending champion Boston Celtics.

The Knicks earned a step to the conference semifinals for the third consecutive season, each move forward overseen by Brunson since he signed a $104 million contract—a price that now like pennies—in the summer of 2022.

"Jalen's shot, what can you say? Timely," an awed Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said in video from SNY. "He's at his best when his best is needed. He's done it all year. That's what makes him special."

"I just know him so well and I just think the high-pressure situations happen. That doesn't phase him," collegiate and professional teammate Mikal Bridges added (h/t New York Basketball on X). "I've just been around him so long. He's even-keeled throughout the whole night, no matter if he's struggling, no matter if he's hooping, you can never tell ... Once he got separation, I knew it was curtains."

Brunson's thrilling three capped off a 40-point showing, already the seventh-such tally he has earned his Knick postseason career. That'll require another update to the Knicks' record book, as Thursday's output ties him with Bernard King for the most postseason forties in franchise history.

It also created a Hollywood ending in the Motor City, one earned in front of a relentless crowd of Pistons fans who spent a good part of their first postseason entertainment since 2019 booing Brunson and outright calling him a flopper.

Brunson was more than happy to showcase the theatrics that Detroiters seemingly craved: after a shifty step-back freed him from the ironclad watch of Ausar Thompson, Brunson took full advantage of the newfound real estate and calmly sank the fateful fling as the Little Caesars Arena crowd sputtered in shock.

Clutch shooting has become so routine to Brunson that he hardly seemed moved by the gesture in his postgame statements, which saw him keep an even tighter brand of stoicism than the one on the floor that lets the Knicks know their hopes on the scoreboard are still alive.

Brunson, in fact, almost seemed to let disappointment reign considering he left the Pistons a reasonable five seconds to work with, even if that problem took care of itself when Malik Beasley dropped the ball before he could get off another potential equalizer on the other end.

"I shot it a little earlier than I wanted to," Brunson said, per Robert Sanchez of SNY. "But, I mean, Ausar is a great defender and the fact that I got that much space, I had to shoot it right there. Happy the ball went in."

He's certainly not the only one: the Knicks are one of two NBA teams to win at least one playoff series in each of the last three years alongside second-round opponent Boston (Denver can join them with a win over the LA Clippers on Saturday). New York also sits among the Association's final eight in three consecutive seasons for the first time since the end of the last century (1992-2000).

"I stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure that my teammates give me. I wouldn't be in this position without this man next to me and the way he played tonight"

Jalen Brunson on staying composed and relying on Mikal Bridges tonight: pic.twitter.com/c0cKD9rQe9
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 2, 2025

Often willing to go down with the ship amidst Manhattan defeats, Brunson was more than willing to pass the spotlight to his officers as his name will no doubt dominate the headlines that stem from Thursday night.

"I stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure that my teammates give me," Brunson said in video from SNY. "I wouldn't be in this position without this man next to me [Bridges], the way he played tonight. Obviously, everybody's going to say a lot about the last shot. But throughout the game, the ups and downs of it, we all stayed composed. The way he played, it was tremendous."

"I've got to give a lot credit to my teammates. None of this happens without them."

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