On a night where legacies begin to take shape, Jalen Brunson added another chapter to his growing playoff legend. With ice in his veins, the New York Knicks star drilled a cold-blooded three-pointer in the closing seconds to eliminate the Detroit Pistons and book a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Out west, the LA Clippers showed their resilience, bouncing back from a blowout loss to even their series with the Denver Nuggets behind standout performances from James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
New York Knicks 116, Detroit Pistons 113 (Knicks win series 4-2)
Brunson’s late-game brilliance lifts New York past Detroit
With the pressure mounting and just four seconds on the clock, Jalen Brunson took a calm dribble, pulled up from beyond the arc, and sank a dagger three-pointer to give the Knicks the lead—and the series. Brunson poured in 40 points in Game 6, rallying his team from a seven-point deficit in the final three minutes to seal a 4-2 series victory.
New York looked poised early, storming to a 14-point lead behind Brunson’s 15-point first quarter. But the Pistons fought back with hot shooting from Malik Beasley and gritty play from Cade Cunningham, who led Detroit with 23 points. Detroit briefly took control in the fourth quarter, going up 112-105, but couldn’t close the deal.
Brunson’s clutch play was supported by Mikal Bridges (25 points) and OG Anunoby (22), as the Knicks once again leaned on their depth and defensive toughness in critical moments. The win sends them to a much-anticipated semifinal clash with the top-seeded Boston Celtics.
Key Performers:
- Jalen Brunson: 40 pts, 7 ast, 4 reb
- Mikal Bridges: 25 pts
- OG Anunoby: 22 pts
- Cade Cunningham: 23 pts
- Jalen Duren: 21 pts
LA Clippers 111, Denver Nuggets 105 (Series tied 3-3)
Clippers answer the call, push series to Game 7
Facing elimination, the LA Clippers showed poise and purpose. James Harden came out firing with 21 first-half points and finished with 28, while Kawhi Leonard chipped in 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists to lead Los Angeles to a gutsy 111-105 win over the defending champions.
It was a back-and-forth battle early on, with Jamal Murray scoring 12 in the first quarter and Nikola Jokić bullying the smaller Clippers lineup in the post to reach 20 points by halftime. Still, the Clippers led 58-57 at the break thanks to sharp ball movement and strong contributions from their bench.
The turning point came in the third quarter, where the Clippers outscored Denver 32-22 and built a double-digit lead. Nicolas Batum’s veteran presence helped stabilize LA’s fourth-quarter offense, while the team’s defense held Denver just enough at bay in the closing minutes.
The Nuggets made one last push behind Jokić and Murray, cutting the lead to five with under a minute left. But timely buckets and a more focused closing effort sealed the win for LA, who now head to Denver for a winner-takes-all Game 7.
Key Performers:
- James Harden: 28 pts
- Kawhi Leonard: 27 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast
- Nikola Jokić: 25 pts, 8 ast, 7 reb
- Jamal Murray: 21 pts, 8 ast, 8 reb
- Russell Westbrook: 14 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast
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