The New York Knicks are in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. On Thursday night at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, we saw greatness from Jalen Brunson of New Brunswick, New Jersey, and as a result, the Knicks eliminated the Detroit Pistons from the postseason.
The Knicks won game six of the first round with Brunson at the focal point of the New York offense. The veteran All-Star point guard had 40 points as he made 15 of 33 field goals, seven of eight free throws, and three of 10 three-point shots.
However, it was Brunson’s final shot that was the most compelling. With the game tied at 113 with five seconds left, Brunson made a game-winning three-point jump shot for a 116-113 New York win, and helped the Knicks complete the best out of seven series four games to two.
This was the seventh time in Brunson’s career he reached 40 points in a playoff game. He had a career-high 47 postseason points on April 28, 2024 in game four of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, a 97-92 Knicks win over the Philadelphia 76ers, just over a year ago. When Brunson was signed by the Knicks, he was brought in for these moments and on Thursday, he delivered in a big way.
Next up for the Knicks is the Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers will play the Indiana Pacers in the other Eastern Conference semifinal.
In the Western Conference, two series are still to be determined. The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are tied at three, and so are the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
