Jalen Brunson scored 32 factors and Karl-Anthony Towns delivered two essential late baskets because the New York Knicks held off the Detroit Pistons 94-93 to take a commanding 3-1 lead of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff sequence on Sunday.
The sport ended amid controversy, the Pistons protesting that Tim Hardaway Jr. was fouled by Josh Hart on a last-gasp three-point try to win it.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fuming together with Pistons followers however had no problem remaining and the Knicks could have an opportunity to shut out the best-of-seven first-round sequence at dwelling on Tuesday.
“There’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot,” Bickerstaff mentioned after the sport. “I don’t know any other way around it, there’s contact on his jump shot … I repeat, there’s contact on his jump shot.”
The Pistons, fueled by a 25-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double from Cade Cunningham, erased an early 16-point deficit and led by 11 early within the fourth quarter.
Brunson, who departed briefly after tweaking his proper ankle late within the third quarter, returned to attain 15 factors within the closing interval because the Knicks clawed again.
Towns, who completed with 27 factors, pulled them inside two factors with a fiercely contested basket then drilled a three-pointer that put New York up 94-93 with 47 seconds left.
The Pistons had two possibilities to win it, Cunningham lacking earlier than Hardaway got here up empty.
“We stuck together, we found a way to win,” mentioned Brunson, who added 5 rebounds and 11 assists.
In the day’s different Western Conference conflict, the Minnesota Timberwolves went into their dwelling sport towards LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers with a 2-1 sequence lead.
In the Eastern Conference, the defending champion Boston Celtics took a 2-1 sequence lead into their sport towards the Magic in Orlando and the Milwaukee Bucks hosted Indiana vying to drag stage in a sequence led 2-1 by the Pacers.
Source: www.anews.com.tr