For the New York Knicks, there were no third quarter issues; the problems, this time, came in the fourth.
In the end, however, the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year closed out the series.
All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson laced a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left in the game to cap an 11-1 run that pushed the Knicks past the Pistons, 116-113. And with that, New York won its first-round playoff series Thursday night in six games, setting up a showdown in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.
Brunson was masterful in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of the team’s final 11 points. He finished with 40 points on 15-of-33 shooting, adding seven assists and four rebounds.
The Knicks had entered the fourth quarter with an 11-point lead, but sloppy play, turnovers and cold shooting allowed Detroit to claw back into the game, eventually taking a seven-point lead with 2:35 to play.
The Pistons missed their last four field goal attempts and committed a pair of turnovers in the final minutes, opening the door for New York’s furious run to win the game.
One of those turnovers came on the penultimate play of the game, when Detroit schemed up an out-of-bounds play that would’ve set up an open 3 for Malik Beasley that would’ve tied the game. The ball, however, glanced off Beasley’s hands and landed out of bounds.
The Knicks would inbound the ball on the following play, quickly eating away the final 0.4 seconds of the game.
Knicks vs. Pistons highlights
Final: Knicks 116, Pistons 113
Watch Jalen Brunson game-winner
End of third quarter: Knicks 96, Pistons 85
To get over their third quarter ineptitude, the Knicks deployed savvy, veteran play.
New York entered Thursday having been outscored in every third quarter this series and by a combined margin of -33, or 6.6 points conceded per third quarter.
On Thursday night, however, the Knicks outscored Detroit by 13 in the period to carry an 11-point lead into the fourth, 96-85.
The Knicks went at the young Pistons, using their overeager defense against them. Early in the third, New York baited Detroit into committing fouls, and the Knicks were already in the bonus before the 8-minute mark had expired.
That led to Detroit playing rather tentative defense, allowing the Knicks to cut and get easier buckets down low.
The Knicks also got hot from beyond the arc, nailing 4-of-7 3s in the period, while Detroit failed to make any of its seven tries from deep.
That means the Pistons, facing elimination, will have 12 minutes to erase the deficit and save its season.
Halftime: Pistons 61, Knicks 59
The Pistons settled in during the second quarter and played in a far better offensive rhythm, outscoring the Knicks by 16 in the period.
More importantly for Detroit, a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from guard Malik Beasley pushed the Pistons into the lead at halftime, 61-59.
Detroit was sparked by the shooting of Beasley, who nailed 6-of-11 shots in the first half, with all of his conversions coming from beyond the arc. Beasley led all Pistons players at the half with 18 points, while Cade Cunningham added 11 points, five assists and four rebounds.
As hot as the Pistons were in the period, it was a very different story for the Knicks, who cooled off. New York converted just 7-of-19 attempts (36.8%) and committed five turnovers in the second quarter, compared to Detroit’s 60.9% shooting in the period.
Jalen Brunson scored just five points in the period, but he leads all players with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Center Karl-Anthony Towns has had a bit of a quiet night so far, with just seven points on 3-of-6 shooting.
End of first quarter: Knicks 37, Pistons 23
The New York Knicks, compared to the way they ended Game 5 Tuesday night, did a few things differently in the first quarter Thursday: they limited turnovers, committing just a single one; they pushed the pace in transition; and point guard Jalen Brunson took over.
Brunson recorded 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and added four assists to lead New York to a 37-23 advantage after one.
The Knicks were hot overall, nailing 15-of-25 shots (60%) and took advantage of three early Detroit turnovers. Cade Cunningham did score nine points, but the Pistons struggled to get back on defense in transition, leading to easy New York buckets.
In the period, the Pistons shot just 8-of-21 (38.1%) from the field, including just 2-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Pistons vs. Knicks Game 6 schedule
Game 6 of the NBA playoff series between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons is set to tipoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 1.
How to watch Pistons vs Knicks: Time, TV, streaming info
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: TNT
- Stream: Fubo
- Location: Little Caesars Arena (Detroit)
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.