Jalen Brunson survives scare as Knicks win; referee admits to key missed call
The former Villanova star limped off the court with an apparent right knee injury, but he returned to spark New York to victory in Detroit.
DETROIT — Jalen Brunson had 32 points and 11 assists Sunday as the New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons, 94-93, to take a three-games-to-one lead in their first-round playoff series.
The Knicks had a scare late in the third when the former Villanova star limped off the court and toward the locker room with an apparent right knee injury, but Brunson returned to form in the fourth.
Karl-Anthony Towns made a go-ahead three-pointer with 46.6 seconds left and finished with 27 points for the Knicks. New York’s dynamic duo put Detroit on the brink of elimination — with an assist from the officials.
Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a three-pointer just before the buzzer and drew some contact from New York’s Josh Hart that wasn’t called a foul at the end of a physical game with few whistles.
David Guthrie, the crew chief for the game, said afterward that the officials made a mistake.
“After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called,” Guthrie said.
Had the foul been called, Hardaway would have gone to the foul line for three free throws that could have given Detroit the lead.
Instead, the Knicks held on to win after rallying from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Game 5 is Tuesday night in New York.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 25 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds for his first playoff triple-double but missed two shots and turned the ball over in the final 1 minute, 7 seconds.
“He has to carry us on the offensive end,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. ”That’s a heavy burden on him, but he has come through so many times.”
The Pistons have lost nine straight home playoff games since 2008, equaling an NBA record set by the 76ers from 1968 to 1971.
The Knicks expected Detroit’s best punch, then came out swinging.
Towns scored in the post and had a block, OG Anunoby had a block in the opening minute and New York went on a 14-2 run to take a 10-point lead midway through the first quarter.
The Knicks’ smothering defense forced six turnovers and scored 10 points off them to take a 29-19 lead after the first quarter.
New York led by as much as 16 points in the second quarter before the Pistons went on an 11-0 run to help them pull within seven at halftime.
In the third, when Detroit outscored the Knicks, 28-14, to take a seven-point lead as Cunningham was the best player on the court. He had 12 points — making 6 of 7 shots — five assists, five rebounds, and three blocks.