Jalen Brunson fuels late rally as Knicks edge Pistons in Game 4
Apr 27, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket between Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) and forward Tobias Harris (12) during the second quarter of game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter after injuring his ankle, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 27 to lead the visiting York Knicks to a 94-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Josh Hart added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who claimed a 3-1 series lead and can close out the best-of-seven series Tuesday in New York.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 25 points and Tobias Harris added 18 for Detroit, which tied an NBA record with its ninth straight postseason loss at home. The Philadelphia 76ers set the mark from 1968-71. The Pistons have not won a home playoff game since May 2008.
Detroit, which trailed by as much as 16 points in the first half, opened the third quarter by scoring 12 of the first 14 points to take a 55-52 lead. After New York went in front, 61-59, with 3:55 remaining, the Pistons went on a 12-3 run to close the quarter with a 71-64 lead. During the stretch, Brunson injured his right ankle with 2:54 left when he went down during a scramble for the ball with Detroit's Dennis Schroder.
The Pistons built the advantage to 10 points at the start of the fourth quarter before Brunson returned with 10:14 remaining. He then scored 13 of the Knicks' next 21 points as New York tied it at 84 with 4:07 left. The Knicks took a 94-93 lead on Towns' 3-pointer with 47 seconds to go. Detroit's Tim Hardaway Jr. appeared to be fouled on his missed 3-point attempt as time expired - drawing the ire of Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the home crowd -- but no call was made on Hart for banging shoulders with Hardaway.
For the second straight game, the Knicks opened with physical play and stingy defense. After Detroit briefly led 6-4, New York scored 25 of the next 38 points in the first quarter. The Pistons committed six turnovers and made only 7 of 19 shots, including none of their six 3-point attempts, in the quarter.
Despite hitting only 5 of 23 shots in the second quarter, the Knicks were able to build a 48-32 lead with 2:39 left. Detroit responded with an 11-2 run, keyed by two 3-point plays by Harris and a 3-pointer by Hardaway, to pull within 50-43 at halftime.
--Field Level Media
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