Knicks Recap: One Win Away, Knicks on the Brink of Advancing
- Sarah Al-Refae
- Apr 27
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 27
Brunson and Towns Deliver Late-Game Heroics as Knicks Survive Pistons’ Comeback to Seal 3-1 Series Lead with a Gritty 94-93 Win.
Back at Little Caesars Arena for Game 4, and the Knicks wasted no time controlling the pace by flying up the court, forcing Detroit into careless turnovers, and punishing them on both ends. From the jump, New York's energy was undeniable. Karl-Anthony Towns controlled the opening tip and knocked down the first bucket, setting the tone. Josh Hart hounded Ausar Thompson on the perimeter, while KAT swatted a shot resulting in an OG Anunoby slam on the break: a sequence that made it feel like a New York mission statement.
Offensively, the ball movement was beautiful, with Jalen Brunson slicing through Detroit’s defense and connecting with Hart for an easy finish. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges planted his feet for a smooth mid-range pull-up, taking advantage on yet another Pistons miscue. Though the Knicks' offense got a little frantic at times, their defense stayed dialled in, frustrating Cade Cunningham and forcing Detroit into a miserable 0-for-4 start from deep.
Josh Hart was catching fire from downtown, drilling two effortless triples, and Deuce McBride added another trey to push the Knicks up double-digits. Despite a few sloppy sequences late in the quarter, Towns steadied the ship with a corner three of his own. New York had wrapped up the first quarter with a 29-19 lead, which was led by Hart’s uncontainable energy, KAT’s two-way dominance, and a suffocating defensive presence that held Cunningham to just two points.
The second quarter was unfortunately dry for the Knicks’ offense, but their dominance on the offensive glass kept them firmly ahead. Detroit's offense faltered badly for most of the quarter, with New York’s locked-in defense forcing 10 turnovers by halftime. KAT calmly cashed in free throws, and Deuce stayed on route at the line as well. Even though the Knicks only bought one three in the second (1-for-11), their rebounding tenacity (15 boards), gave them life.
And then, Detroit finally broke their three-point drought with Tim Hardaway Jr. claiming one in. However, New York’s interior toughness stayed intact with OG and Hart scrapping on every miss, keeping Detroit on their toes and scrambling to retain possession. With that, New York's captain snapped the Knicks' cold spell with a huge three over Detroit's Thompson, bringing back momentum.
It wasn't until the last minute of the first half that the Pistons started clawing their way back. Their energy was mainly fuelled by an aggressive Tobias Harris and his relentless drives and second-chance points off fouls. Detroit was attempting to close the gap after KAT picked up his third foul, forcing Coach Tom Thibodeau to sit him down at the bench. OG’s late bucket helped New York maintain a seven-point cushion, but there’s no doubt that the Knicks’ sloppiness to end the half opened the door just a crack for Detroit.
Despite a disorganized quarter, the Knicks managed to finish the first half with a 50-43 lead.
Then, the worst was yet to come. The Knicks came out of halftime looking utterly different, and not in a good way either. New York was struggling badly on both ends, whereas Detroit surged, seizing all the momentum. Starting with the ball, the Pistons instantly capitalized as Jalen Brunson picked up his third foul within only a few seconds into the second half, and Karl-Anthony Towns soon followed into foul trouble. Cade Cunningham wasted no time, scoring early and assisting Detroit in cutting the Knicks' lead down to just five now.
Regardless of New York’s defense forcing a few giveaways, Towns’ offensive foul against Cade was proven to be costly. The Knicks’ offense, much like their Game 2 struggles, completely dried up, reaching two-for-13 while Detroit’s confidence snowballed like none other. Thompson gave the Pistons their first lead of the game, and even Josh Hart’s timely triple wasn’t enough to cool the Pistons down.
Tobias Harris' fifth foul should’ve been a break for the Knicks, but Cunningham’s explosion maintained stealthy, slamming one home and pushing through the Knicks' defense. Things got worse when Brunson, after being stripped by Schroder, was seen limping to the locker room after clutching his ankle. Towns briefly stopped the aching pain with a three, but Beasley’s back-to-back triples pushed Detroit's lead to an emphatic 71-64 to finish the third. It was a nightmare: the Knicks were reverting back to woeful ways, and Detroit had firmly seized control.
The final quarter turned into a gritty, high-stakes showdown, with both teams throwing everything they had at each other, especially Jalen Brunson who was trying to will the Knicks across the finish line.
With Brunson temporarily sidelined at the start of the fourth, Detroit extended their lead through Cade Cunningham’s steady offense. But once JB checked back in, the entire game shifted to New York's favour.
Down by 10, Brunson right away got to work, bullying his way to buckets and clawing the Knicks back into a land full of hope. Bridges finally plummeted in a much-needed three, and Brunson’s shot off the glass moments later brought New York within just three. The energy peaked as Brunson tied the game with cold-blooded step-back three, flexing his Clutch Player of the Year title.
But Detroit continued to bite back. Karl-Anthony Towns wouldn't let that happen though as he delivered a jaw-dropping shot after shot: a fadeaway miracle and a deep go-ahead three that sent the Knicks bench into a frenzy. The big man did it: the Knicks were now up by one.
After a Detroit turnover, Brunson rushed his shot and missed terribly, giving the ball right back to the Pistons. With just a few seconds remaining, Cunningham missed, but Hardaway Jr. secured back the ball at the corner three, leading to a controversial defensive stop by Josh Hart that sparked an intense argument between J.B. Bickerstaff and the officials for the no-call.
Ultimately, the Knicks sealed a 3-1 series lead over Detroit with a hard-fought 94-93 victory.
Overall, the Knicks win an intense game with Brunson leading once again with 32-11-5, the heroic Towns tallying 27 points and nine rebounds, and the brutal board leader Josh Hart with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
On the other hand, the defeated Pistons had Cunningham out in front for them with 25 points and 10 assists, Harris claiming 18 points and eight rebounds, Hardaway Jr. placing 14 points, and Beasley picking up 13 points and five boards.
Next up, the New York Knicks will fly back home to face the Detroit Pistons to potentially win the entire series and move onto the second round (3-1) at MSG on Tuesday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. E.S.T.
Knicks Recap for Game 4.
Great recap Sarah. Keep it up