Knicks Coach Reacts to Pistons Crowd's Chants at Jalen Brunson

Pistons crowd was relentless towards Jalen Brunson.

Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau yells out instructions against the Detroit Pistons in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Following a pair of highly competitive games in New York, the Detroit Pistons returned home with the series all tied up at one. After another matchup that ended up going down to the wire, Tom Thibodeau gave his thoughts on the atmosphere in Little Caesars Arena.

Seeing that it was the Pistons' first home playoff game in over six years, the arena was at a fever pitch from the moment Game 3 tipped off. They zeroed in on one Knicks player in particular, Jalen Brunson. Anytime the Knicks star touched the ball, he was met with massive boos and chants of profanity.

This environment didn't seem to bother Brunson, as he put together another strong performance in Game 3. In 38 minutes of action, he tallied 30 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists. Behind his all-around play, the Knicks managed to barely walk out with a win and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

During his postgame media availability, Thibodeau touched on how the Detroit crowd treated Brunson on Thursday. He made a joking remark about their chants before stating that moments like this are what the All-Star guard lives for.

"Those are cheers. He lives for that stuff," Thibodeau said.

Tom Thibodeau on the f-you, Brunson chants: "Those are cheers. He lives for that stuff."

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) April 25, 2025

In what has become a trend in this series, the Pistons stormed back late to make things interesting in Game 3. It would not be enough though, suffering a crushing 118-116 defeat on their home floor. They now find themselves back to square one having squandered homecourt advantage in the series.

Though they're trailing at the moment, the Pistons are still far from out. They have an opportunity to even things up once again before having to head back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5. These teams will enjoy another two-day break, with Game 4 not tipping off until Sunday afternoon.