May 2 (UPI) — Jalen Brunson sent Ausar Thompson flying with a devastating crossover before draining a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds remaining to help the New York Knicks eliminate the Detroit Pistons from the playoffs.
Brunson scored a game-high 40-points in the 116-113 Game 6 triumph Thursday in Detroit. He scored 20 points in each half, but made just 4 of 14 shots in the fourth quarter, including his final fateful fling.
“It’s all about poise and having that composure,” Brunson told reporters. “Obviously you want to have it throughout the game, but it’s most important at the end.”
The third-seeded Knicks will meet the No. 2 Boston Celtics on Monday in Game 1 of a Eastern Conference semifinals series.
“Obviously I haven’t really dug into that yet,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of the semifinal matchup. “I’ve watched some of the playoff games, but obviously we will be doing a lot of work in the next couple days. … They’re the defending champion, so we’re going to have to be at our best.”
The Knicks outshot the Pistons 47.7% to 46.9%. They held a 43-36 edge in rebounding. The game featured six lead changes and was tied seven times.
Brunson scored 15 points over the first 12 minutes. The Knicks used an 11-0 run to earn a 20-8 edge midway through the first quarter. They carried a 37-23 lead into the second.
The Pistons proceeded to go on a 19-5 surge to tie the game at 49-49 about four minutes before halftime. They wrestled for a 61-59 lead at the break. Veteran guard Malik Beasley made five 3-pointers for 15 points off the Pistons bench in the second quarter.
The Knicks answered by scoring the first six points of the second half. They later added a 16-6 run to take an 81-71 advantage and carried a 96-85 lead into the fourth quarter.
Knicks forward Mikal Bridges and Brunson scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the third quarter. The Pistons quickly erased that deficit, using a 20-2 run to earn a 112-105 edge with 2:35 remaining.
The Knicks answered with an 11-1 surge to end the game. Brunson scored eight of those points. Bridges tied the score at 113-113 with 36 seconds remaining. Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham missed a go-ahead shot on the next possession.
Seconds later, Brunson dribbled the ball, with his back to the basket, while inside the half-court logo. He then dashed toward his left, with Thompson defending. Brunson stopped that dribble, jabbed his left foot in the ground and bounced the ball between his legs, faking out Thompson. He then calmly stepped up behind the 3-point line and gave the Knicks their final lead.
The Pistons went on to throw the ball out of bounds on their final possession.
Bridges totaled 25 points in the victory. Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns logged 10 points and 15 rebounds. O.G. Anunoby chipped in 22 points. Fellow Knicks forward Josh Hart logged 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Cunningham totaled 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the loss. Beasley scored 20 off the Pistons bench. Center Jalen Duren chipped in 21 points for the Pistons.
The winner of the Celtics-Knicks series will meet the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers or No. 4 Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
