The Knicks were on the road for Game 6 on Thursday evening in Detroit. New York lost a tough Game 5 to give the Pistons life in this opening-round series.
Nearly every game between New York and Detroit in this series has been decided in the game’s final minutes. The game was tied 113-113 on Thursday, and the Knicks had possession with less than 10 seconds. Jalen Brunson had six-foot-six Ausar Thompson guarding him. The savvy PG hit a nasty crossover to create separation from Thompson. Brunson knocked down an uncontested three and put the Knicks up 116-113. That won the game for New York and the series 4-2.
Jalen Brunson proved why he was the KIA Clutch Player of the Year in 2024-25
JALEN BRUNSON FROM 3 TO WIN IT FOR THE KNICKS 🔥🔥🔥
KNICKS ARE ADVANCING TO EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIS!!!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/sGmjcWhNdj
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2025
New York did not want to go back to MSG for a potential Game 7. They wanted to take care of business on Thursday night in Detroit. The Pistons had a 61-59 lead at halftime. In this series, the third quarter has been New York’s Achilles’ heel. However, the Knicks had their best third quarter so far with 37 points. Outscoring the Pistons by 13 points. Despite the Knicks holding a double-digit lead, the Pistons went on a 20-2 run in the fourth quarter.
Once the Pistons made a comeback, it was another back-and-forth game in the fourth quarter. With less than 10 seconds left, New York had possession. It was Jalen Brunson who had the last laugh on Thursday vs. the Pistons. Brunson has been known to make big shots in his career. The 28-year-old is never afraid of the moment, and nailed a massive three-pointer in Game 6. It won the game 116-113 for the Knicks and the series 4-2 vs. Detroit.
With their win on Thursday, the Knicks are moving on to the conference semi-finals. As the #3 seed, they will face the #2 seed Boston Celtics in the second round. A team they were swept by in the 2024-25 regular season. It’s going to take a consistent team effort from the Knicks to win four games vs. the Celtics. Far more consistency than they had in the first round vs. Detroit. How far can Jalen Brunson carry the Knicks in the 2025 playoffs?
