Mikal Bridges and the New York Knicks prevailed 116-113 in the Game 6 first-round playoff road clash against the Detroit Pistons. Following their late-game, series-winning rally, Bridges displayed immense confidence in his team’s ability to remain poised under pressure.
Leading the series 3-2, New York fell behind by seven points (112-105) with under two and a half minutes remaining. At that point, Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson took over.
He converted a running and-one bank shot and another contested finish inside to bring his team within two points (112-110) with 1:38 left.
Brunson came up short on a game-tying midrange fadeaway attempt in the final minute. However, Bridges was in position for the putback, tying the scoreboard at 113-113 with 35.6 seconds to go.
Following a New York defensive stop, Brunson crossed over Pistons wing Ausar Thompson in what would become a highlight reel and drained a game-winning 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds to play.
Mikal Bridges Emphatically Reacts to New York’s Round 1 Triumph Over Detroit
After dispatching the Pistons in six games on their home court, Bridges was asked what the Knicks discussed during their late-game timeout with the game at stake. He highlighted his squad’s composure and self-assurance despite playing in a hostile environment.
“We’re built for this sh*t. That’s all it is. We’re built for it,” Bridges said. “That’s what we kept saying. Sorry, sorry. We’re built for it. That’s all it was.”
JALEN BRUNSON.
WHAT A SHOT.
WHAT A MOMENT.KNICKS WIN THE SERIES!! https://t.co/ZT6WwTDpZ2 pic.twitter.com/J2pHYE9mHv
— NBA (@NBA)
Bridges finished with 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, one block and one triple, shooting a blistering 11-for-16 (68.8%). Meanwhile, Brunson tallied a game-high 40 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three 3s, shooting 15-for-33 (45.5%).
The duo finished as the contest’s two leading scorers, with three Detroit players (Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Malik Beasley) also scoring 20-plus points.
The Pistons were unable to get up a 3-point attempt to try and force overtime, as Beasley fumbled a pass with 0.4 seconds remaining.
Knicks Primed for Round 2 Showdown Against Defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics
After eliminating Detroit, New York is set to take on the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics in a highly anticipated second-round matchup. The Eastern Conference’s third-seeded Knicks (51-31) will be underdogs against the second-seeded Celtics (61-21). As such, they will likely need to take their game to another level after suffering two defeats against an inexperienced Pistons team.
“They’re the defending champions, so we’re going to have to be at our best,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said postgame.
Game 1 is scheduled for Monday night in Boston. The Knicks will look to inch closer to their first East finals appearance since 2000.
