Jalen Brunson’s crossover dribble between his legs on Thursday created space for a game-winning three-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 in Game 6 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.
Photo: AFP
A week after the point guard won the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award, 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 did not get a shot off to potentially tie the game and send it to overtime because Malik Beasley fumbled a pass with 0.4 seconds left.
Photo: Rick Osentoski / Imagn Images
“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 face the second-seeded Boston Celtics, 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 of the Celtics, with Game 1 scheduled for Monday.
Mikal Bridges had 25 points, while 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.
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