When the story of Game 6 from this season’s Knicks-Pistons playoff series is told, Jalen Brunson‘s game-winning three will be front and center, and for good reason. The NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year lived up to his moniker by sealing the series and helping New York advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But that shot was just the final chapter. The journey to getting to that instant-classic moment was paved by the play of Brunson’s teammates, especially Mikal Bridges.
Bridges, who has become much-maligned among a vocal portion of Knicks fans, had his best game of the series on Thursday night. He scored 25 points — second to Brunson’s 40 — on 69 percent shooting while coming down with four rebounds, dishing three assists and adding a block to his statline. He was a huge reason the Knicks clinched the series on Thursday, and Brunson made sure to acknowledge him.
“I stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure that my teammates give me. I wouldn’t be in that position without the play of the man next to me, the way he played tonight,” Brunson said of his shot, seated at the podium next to Bridges after the game. “Everyone’s going to say a lot about the last shot, but throughout the game, the ups and downs of it, and the way he played tonight, I give a lot of credit to my teammates. None of this happens without them.”
While Brunson was going off for 15 points in the first quarter, Bridges was right there with his eight. Bridges scored four to match Brunson’s five in the second, and then 11 points in the third to Brunson’s 10.
That scoring from both, and the team as a whole, was thanks to an aggressive approach of getting to the rim, and playing uptempo to not allow this physical Pistons team to get set in their defense.
“Just being aggressvie. Us playing fast, knowing the weapons we have, just trying to be aggressive,” Bridges said. “They tried to take them away and we have to punish them sometimes when they deny [Brunson] and let other guys play. Just trying to play the right way and try to win.”
The final quarter saw the Knicks blow a 12-point lead and get down by as much as seven with less than three minutes to go. Bridges wasn’t involved in the offense much, taking just one shot, but it was the second-biggest of the game.
New York had just cut the Pistons’ lead to two when Karl-Anthony Towns was fouled with 1:19 remaining. The big man missed the second of his free throws and Detroit had just put the lead back up to two with 50 seconds remaining, and the Knicks had the ball. Brunson drove to the bucket and attempted a fadeaway, but missed. Bridges crashed the board and tipped the ball in while falling out of bounds to tie the game at 113 apiece.
That would eventually set up Brunson’s game-winner.
“Everyone out there contributed at the end of the game. Huge shout-out to Kal. The shot wasn’t falling in this series but he was doing everything else,” Josh Hart said. “He was guarding and his defense was amazing in this series. With 30 seconds left had one of the biggest plays with that effort tip-in. JB’s shot was huge, but big credit to him for keeping it up and keeping mentally strong and playing his game.”
“Big time. He got a left-hand dunk. I don’t think anyone in New York thought he was going to pull that off,” Towns said of Bridges’ play. “Shoutout to him, man. We all found a way to help our team win… a great job from all of us in this locker room, executing, staying disciplined, staying emotionally involved in this game. With so many ups and downs, anyone in this locker room could have let go of the rope, but that’s not how we’re built.”
“The putback, just trying to find a way to win. Just being there,” Bridges said. “My coaches been on me all year, all playoffs to rebound. Just try to do my best.
“I love my teammates. Try to go out there and make a play. I play for them.”
When the story of Game 6 from this season’s Knicks-Pistons playoff series is told, Jalen Brunson‘s game-winning three will be front and center, and for good reason. The NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year lived up to his moniker by sealing the series and helping New York advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But that shot was just the final chapter. The journey to getting to that instant-classic moment was paved by the play of Brunson’s teammates, especially Mikal Bridges.
Bridges, who has become much-maligned among a vocal portion of Knicks fans, had his best game of the series on Thursday night. He scored 25 points — second to Brunson’s 40 — on 69 percent shooting while coming down with four rebounds, dishing three assists and adding a block to his statline. He was a huge reason the Knicks clinched the series on Thursday, and Brunson made sure to acknowledge him.
“I stay poised and I rely on the trust and composure that my teammates give me. I wouldn’t be in that position without the play of the man next to me, the way he played tonight,” Brunson said of his shot, seated at the podium next to Bridges after the game. “Everyone’s going to say a lot about the last shot, but throughout the game, the ups and downs of it, and the way he played tonight, I give a lot of credit to my teammates. None of this happens without them.”
While Brunson was going off for 15 points in the first quarter, Bridges was right there with his eight. Bridges scored four to match Brunson’s five in the second, and then 11 points in the third to Brunson’s 10.
That scoring from both, and the team as a whole, was thanks to an aggressive approach of getting to the rim, and playing uptempo to not allow this physical Pistons team to get set in their defense.
“Just being aggressvie. Us playing fast, knowing the weapons we have, just trying to be aggressive,” Bridges said. “They tried to take them away and we have to punish them sometimes when they deny [Brunson] and let other guys play. Just trying to play the right way and try to win.”
The final quarter saw the Knicks blow a 12-point lead and get down by as much as seven with less than three minutes to go. Bridges wasn’t involved in the offense much, taking just one shot, but it was the second-biggest of the game.
New York had just cut the Pistons’ lead to two when Karl-Anthony Towns was fouled with 1:19 remaining. The big man missed the second of his free throws and Detroit had just put the lead back up to two with 50 seconds remaining, and the Knicks had the ball. Brunson drove to the bucket and attempted a fadeaway, but missed. Bridges crashed the board and tipped the ball in while falling out of bounds to tie the game at 113 apiece.
That would eventually set up Brunson’s game-winner.
“Everyone out there contributed at the end of the game. Huge shout-out to Kal. The shot wasn’t falling in this series but he was doing everything else,” Josh Hart said. “He was guarding and his defense was amazing in this series. With 30 seconds left had one of the biggest plays with that effort tip-in. JB’s shot was huge, but big credit to him for keeping it up and keeping mentally strong and playing his game.”
“Big time. He got a left-hand dunk. I don’t think anyone in New York thought he was going to pull that off,” Towns said of Bridges’ play. “Shoutout to him, man. We all found a way to help our team win… a great job from all of us in this locker room, executing, staying disciplined, staying emotionally involved in this game. With so many ups and downs, anyone in this locker room could have let go of the rope, but that’s not how we’re built.”
“The putback, just trying to find a way to win. Just being there,” Bridges said. “My coaches been on me all year, all playoffs to rebound. Just try to do my best.
“I love my teammates. Try to go out there and make a play. I play for them.”
