Brunson delivers dagger as Knicks beat Pistons to set up 2nd-round series with Celtics

DETROIT, May 3 ------ 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 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 

A week after the point guard won the NBA’s 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 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. Game 1 is Monday night in Boston. “They’re the defending champion so we’re going to have to be at our best,” 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’s 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. “We proved to ourselves and to the rest of the league that what we have in our room can be very successful,” Cunningham said. Detroit’s 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.  

Meanwhile, James Harden had 28 points and eight assists in an outstanding bounce-back performance, Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and the Los Angeles Clippers forced a seventh game in their first-round NBA playoff series with a 111-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6. Norman Powell scored 24 points for the Clippers, who rebounded from back-to-back losses with an impressive effort at new Intuit Dome. Los Angeles took control in the second half while playing tenacious defense on Nikola Jokic, who scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half. “I give our guys credit for just staying with it,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “(They) don’t get deflated, and we did a good job. I told the guys after the game, it’s about being a team and whatever it takes to win. Those guys totally understood it.” 

Game 7 is Saturday in Denver. Jamal Murray scored 21 points for the Nuggets, who lost a potential series-clinching playoff game for the fourth time in five tries over the past two seasons since their 2023 championship run. Denver also blew a 3-2 series lead over Minnesota in the second round last season. 

Source: mb.com.ph