Jalen Brunson scores 40 points, including the tie-breaking 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to close out the Pistons in Game 6.
DETROIT (AP) — 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 and into the second round of the NBA playoffs.
“I stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure my teammates give me,” Brunson said.
A week after the point guard was named 2024-25 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year, he lived up to the billing.
“He’s at his best when his best is needed and he’s done it all year,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “That’s what makes him special.”
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.
“This is tough,” said Beasley, who had 16 points in the second quarter and finished with 20. “I had a chance to make a three and tie the game. I’m mad about that.”
The third-seeded Knicks will face second-seeded Boston, shooting to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000.
“They’re the defending champion so we’re going to have to be at our best,” Thibodeau said.
