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New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson was just recently named Clutch Player of the Year, and he showed exactly why in Game 3 against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. Brunson hit three clutch buckets and four free throws as the Knicks held off the Pistons, 118-116, to take a 2-1 series lead. He scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter.
Brunson was Public Enemy No. 1 in Detroit, with Pistons fans raining “F**k you, Brunson” chants down on the Knicks star throughout the night. The point guard gave Detroit fans even more reason to hate him when he got a flagrant foul in the first quarter for poking Tim Hardaway Jr. in the eye.
The first quarter was chippy overall, which was not surprising given how the first two games went at Madison Square Garden. There was a lot of emotion in New York, with the Pistons winning their first playoff game in 17 years in Game 2 after a Game 1 collapse. That set up the rowdy Game 3 with the series tied at 1-1.
Game 3 delivered the drama. While it looked like the Knicks were going to cruise to victory after a big first half, the Pistons charged back and got the deficit to three points in crunch time. Brunson answered with a basket, and then Karl-Anthony Towns delivered with a clutch basket of his own. Detroit wouldn't go away, but Brunson stood tall time and time again.
The game ended with a bit of weirdness as Brunson missed a free throw intentionally while up two points with 0.5 seconds left. The clock ran out prematurely, giving the Pistons one last chance to tie or win. But they threw away the inbound pass, giving the Knicks the win and the series advantage.
Game 4 will essentially be do-or-die for Detroit, so Brunson, Towns and New York better be ready. Towns actually led Game 3 with 31 points.
