New York scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat Detroit 123-112 in Game 1 on 19 April 2025.
Jalen Brunson finished with 34 points and Cameron Payne changed the game off the bench as the Knicks seized a 1-0 series lead.
Detroit controls the game for three quarters
The Pistons led 91-83 entering the fourth and remained eight ahead with just over nine minutes left.
Tobias Harris scored 25 and Cade Cunningham had 21 points with 12 assists in his playoff debut. Detroit’s defence had frustrated Brunson, who made only four of 15 first-half shots.
Payne sparks New York’s decisive run
Payne began the comeback with a three-point play. Brunson followed, then Payne tied the game with a three.
The two guards scored the first 17 points of New York’s 21-0 run. Josh Hart added the final two baskets, leaving the Knicks ahead 111-98.
Detroit went almost five minutes without a point. New York won the fourth quarter 40-21.
Brunson shakes off ankle concern
Brunson briefly left the floor to change his shoes after appearing to jar the ankle that had cost him 15 games late in the regular season.
“I think he was grabbing his cape,” Tom Thibodeau joked.
Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby each scored 23, while New York forced 19 turnovers. Detroit’s first playoff appearance since 2019 ended with a lesson in how quickly one bad stretch can decide a postseason game.
