The New York Knicks are one win away from advancing to the second round after a dramatic and controversial 94-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday.
Karl-Anthony Towns delivered in the clutch, knocking down a go-ahead three-pointer with 46.6 seconds remaining, capping off a 27-point performance. Jalen Brunson was brilliant once again, finishing with 32 points and 11 assists, including several key plays down the stretch. The Knicks now lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 set for Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The ending, however, was marred by controversy. In the final seconds, Detroit’s Tim Hardaway Jr. launched a desperation three just before the buzzer and appeared to draw contact from New York’s Josh Hart. No foul was called, and the Knicks escaped with the win. After the game, crew chief David Guthrie acknowledged that the officials missed the call. Had the foul been called, Hardaway would have gone to the line for three free throws — a potential opportunity for the Pistons to steal the game.
Instead, it was the Knicks who walked away victorious, thanks to a gritty fourth-quarter comeback. Trailing by 11 points early in the final period, New York dug deep, outscoring Detroit 25-13 in the fourth behind Brunson’s playmaking and Towns’ timely shooting. Towns, who also hit a difficult turnaround fadeaway jumper near the baseline with 1:29 left, showed why New York acquired him in the offseason for moments exactly like this.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had a historic night of his own. The young star recorded his first playoff triple-double with 25 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds, becoming just the third Piston in franchise history to achieve the feat, joining Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who was in attendance. Cunningham, however, faltered late, missing two critical shots and committing a turnover in the final 67 seconds as the Pistons’ rally fell short.
The Pistons had fought back from an early deficit. After falling behind by as many as 16 points in the first half, Detroit closed the gap with an 11-0 run and trailed by just seven at halftime. Cunningham dominated the third quarter, scoring 12 points on 6-for-7 shooting while adding five assists, five rebounds, and three blocks, helping the Pistons outscore New York 28-14 in the period and seize a seven-point lead entering the fourth.
New York also had a tense moment late in the third when Brunson limped off with an apparent right leg injury. However, the All-Star point guard returned in the fourth and showed no signs of slowing down.
The Pistons, despite their fight, are now on the verge of elimination and have matched an unwanted NBA record — their ninth straight home playoff loss, equaling the mark set by the Philadelphia 76ers from 1968 to 1971.
For the Knicks, Sunday’s win showed their resilience. They withstood Detroit’s best punch, weathered the emotional swings of a physical and whistle-light game, and found just enough firepower — and perhaps a little luck — to move one step closer to the next round.
