DETROIT (AP) 鈥 Jalen Brunson’s crossover dribble between his legs created space for a game-winning 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left and he blew a kiss to a quiet crowd that relentlessly taunted him for three games.
Brunson finished with 40 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 116-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night in Game 6 and into the second round of the NBA playoffs.
鈥淚 stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure my teammates give me,” Brunson said.
A week after the point guard won the award, he lived up to the billing.
鈥淗e鈥檚 at his best when his best is needed and he鈥檚 done it all year,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “That鈥檚 what makes him special.鈥
Detroit didn’t get a shot off to potentially tie the game and send it to overtime because Malik Beasley fumbled a pass with four-tenths of a second left.
鈥淭his is tough,鈥 said Beasley, who had 16 points in the second quarter and finished with 20. 鈥淚 had a chance to make a three and tie the game. I鈥檓 mad about that.鈥
The third-seeded Knicks will face second-seeded Boston, shooting to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000.
Game 1 is Monday night in Boston.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e the defending champion so we鈥檙e going to have to be at our best,鈥 Thibodeau said.
Mikal Bridges had 25 points and OG Anunoby added 22 for the Knicks, who closed the game out with clutch shots and stops after losing an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter and a 15-point advantage in the second quarter.
The sixth-seeded Pistons had an unprecedented turnaround during the regular season and ended the NBA鈥檚 longest playoff losing streak in their first postseason appearance since 2019, but broke another league mark with a 10th straight setback at home dating to 2008.
鈥淲e proved to ourselves and to the rest of the league that what we have in our room can be very successful,鈥 Cunningham said.
Detroit鈥檚 Cade Cunningham had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Cunningham was 0 for 8 on 3-pointers and his backcourt mate Tim Hardaway Jr. was 1 of 6 beyond the arc and scored seven points.
Hardaway made a jumper to put Detroit ahead 112-105 with 2:35 left and Brunson responded by scoring the next five points.
Cunningham missed a contested layup with 22 seconds left that when the score was 113-all and Brunson took advantage of the opportunity to win it on the next possession.
鈥淲e did so many things well and gave ourselves a chance,鈥 Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. 鈥淭hey just made one more play than we did.鈥
was booed almost every time he touched the ball in the series and heard much worse than that in Game 3.
It was so vulgar that Golden State Warriors coach came to Brunson’s defense.
Thibodeau, though, said no one can rattle Brunson.
鈥淗is focus is terrific,” Thibodeau said. “He doesn鈥檛 get sidetracked with anything but the game. He鈥檚 not thinking about what people say, or fans.鈥
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