Jalen Brunson leads Knicks past Pistons to take 3-1 series lead
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and Karl-Anthony Towns made two clutch baskets late as the New York Knicks edged the Detroit Pistons 94-93 to seize a 3-1 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday.
The game ended in controversy, with Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff furious after Tim Hardaway Jr. appeared to be fouled by Josh Hart on a final three-point attempt. However, with no challenges remaining, the Pistons could not contest the call.
“There’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot,” Bickerstaff said post-game. “I don’t know any other way around it, there’s contact on his jump shot… I repeat, there’s contact on his jump shot.”
Detroit, led by Cade Cunningham’s triple-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, rallied from a 16-point deficit and held an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Brunson, who briefly exited with an ankle injury late in the third, returned to score 15 points in the final period. Towns, who finished with 27 points, brought New York within two with a strong drive and then nailed a three-pointer for a 94-93 lead with 47 seconds left.
Cunningham and Hardaway both missed late shots, allowing the Knicks to escape with the win.
“We stuck together, we found a way to win,” Brunson said.
(Source: AFP)
