For a period on Thursday, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson, experienced an unusual struggle during the fourth quarter. In the decisive Game 6 of the New York Knicks` initial playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Brunson missed eight of his first nine attempts from the field in the final frame. His single successful shot came courtesy of the Pistons mishandling a defensive rebound, allowing him an unopposed layup.
With just one minute remaining, Brunson attempted an isolation play against Ausar Thompson, a remarkably athletic 22-year-old defender with future All-Defensive potential. Thompson effectively shadowed Brunson to the right elbow, where Brunson attempted a one-legged fadeaway. Thompson`s defense was sharp, stripping the ball and forcing a shot clock violation.
Brunson`s shooting woes continued; he was 3 for 13 in the fourth quarter when he missed a midrange jumper over Dennis Schröder on the subsequent Knicks possession. However, Mikal Bridges managed to tip the ball in, setting the stage for Brunson to potentially redeem his earlier misses.
With the score tied and 20.6 seconds left, New York inbounded the ball to Brunson. Again, Thompson was tight on defense. Bridges came up as if to set a screen near the logo but instead “ghosted” it, faking the contact. Brunson drove left, then abruptly stopped, dribbled between his legs, and completely lost Thompson. He took two more dribbles and pulled up for a straight-on three-pointer. The shot found nothing but net.
This pivotal basket brought his game total to 40 points, with 10 scored in the fourth quarter. Following a difficult Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, Brunson delivered a monumental bounce-back performance. Absorbing boos and a sustained chant of `FLOP-PER` from the crowd at Little Caesars Arena, Brunson crushed Detroit`s hopes and blew a kiss to the fans.
By securing a defensive stop on the following possession, the Knicks concluded the game with an 11-1 run and clinched the series victory (4-2), advancing to the second round. Their focus now shifts to facing the Boston Celtics, moving past the challenge posed by Thompson and the persistent Pistons.
“Man, I just know him so well, and I just think when high-pressure situations happen, that doesn`t faze him,” Bridges commented to reporters. “I`ve just been around him so long and know he`s even-keeled throughout the whole night, no matter if he`s struggling, no matter if he`s hooping – you can never tell. So all I just thought was *hopefully he gets some separation*. And once he got separation, then it was curtains. When he shot it and made it, I felt like I made it. I was so geeked up. You would have thought I hit the game-winner.”
Brunson admitted he shot the ball “a little earlier than I wanted to,” but against a formidable defender like Thompson, he recognized the need to immediately capitalize on the space he managed to create.
“I don`t really go and think *all right, I`m going to make this move right here*,” Brunson explained. “It`s just an instinct. He beat me to the spot, he cut me off, I just went back the other way, and I found a lot of space, and I was able to take a shot. That dude was tough to play against. He`s big-time. And I told him, straight to his face after the series, [that] he made me work, so I got a lot of respect for him.”
New York coach Tom Thibodeau emphasized that playoff success hinges on perseverance, toughness, and navigating the inevitable emotional highs and lows. In this regard, Brunson`s inherent “makeup” and “intangibles” are what distinguish him.
“It`s easy to see like how many points a guy scores or what [a player`s] physical tools are, but when you look at the mental tools, that`s everything,” Thibodeau stated. “And then how do you deal with, like, if you miss a shot? He comes back, the next one, he`s going to shoot it great. He may miss that one, but he`ll shoot the next one great.”
Similar to last season`s first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks were fortunate to close out this series without needing a seventh game. Games 3 through 6 were all decided in the final moments, and New York had to mount a significant fourth-quarter run to secure the initial victory.
However, it`s not mere coincidence that the Knicks consistently find ways to win tight games, or that Brunson continues to add game-winning shots to his record.
“You gotta tip your hat to Brunson for creating the space, finding his shot there at the end,” praised Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “But he`s hard to guard. And the space that they play with and how he can generate space at his size is remarkable. I thought Ausar did a great job on him. He just did what he does and made one more.”
Brunson`s heroics spared New York a do-or-die Game 7 against the Pistons. Looking ahead to the next round, the challenge intensifies significantly. Against the favored Celtics, can the Knicks manage to keep games close enough for Brunson`s crunch-time composure to be decisive? Boston presents a more balanced and potent opponent with superior spacing, greater defensive adaptability, and ample offensive firepower.
New York`s offensive performance against Detroit, in particular, was often underwhelming. This aspect must improve dramatically if they hope to compete with Boston, and that responsibility doesn`t solely fall on Brunson. While his heroic moments are vital, with much less margin for error in the next series, the Knicks cannot continuously rely on him alone to rescue them.
Jasper Hawthorne