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Heroes, zeros and more from the Knicks’ 116-113 Game 5 win over the Pistons on Thursday night that sent them to the Eastern Conference semifinals:
Hero
Jalen Brunson put on his cape and became the hero the Knicks needed. He crossed up Ausar Thompson and drilled a game-winning 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to give the Knicks a 116-113 lead. He finished with 40 points.
Mikal Bridges celebrates after slamming home a dunk over Cade Cunningham during the Knicks’ Game 6 series-clinching win over the Pistons. Charles Wenzelberg/New York PostZero
The Knicks survived a complete dud from Karl-Anthony Towns. He finished with just 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting from the field and missed his only 3-pointer. In the fourth quarter, he missed both shots he took, recorded two turnovers and three fouls while also going 1-for-2 from the line when he had a chance to tie the game with 1:19 left.
Karl-Anthony Towns grabs a rebound during the Knicks’ 116-113 Game 6 series-clinching win over the Pistons on May 1, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
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Unsung hero
Mikal Bridges delivered his best game of the series, finishing with 25 points on 11-for-16 shooting from the field. His tip-in tied the game at 113-113 with 35.1 seconds left. He also posterized Cade Cunningham in the third quarter.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs
- A more concerning Jalen Brunson debate will linger after Game 5 debacle
- The debate around Tom Thibodeau’s much maligned timeout call isn’t so clear-cut
- Miles McBride’s playoff struggles exposing Knicks’ depth problem
- The harsh reality check facing the Knicks in Game 6
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Key stat
43-36: Margin by which the Knicks out-rebounded Detroit. After getting beat on the glass earlier in the series, they finished strong in that department the last two games.
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