The New York Knicks punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Semifinals following their 116-113 Game 6 win against the Detroit Pistons off of Jalen Brunson’s game-winner. With the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter, Jalen Brunson pulled a crossover on Ausar Thompson, stepped into a pull-up three and calmly buried the eventual Game 6 game-winner. Almost immediately after the game, Josh Hart took to social media to give a shout-out to his teammate.

“JALEN BRUNSON,” Josh Hart posted on social media along with a trio of corresponding emojis.

Not only did Brunson hit the game-winner for the Knicks, but he torched the Pistons, finishing with a game-high 40 points. He shot 15-0f-33 (45.4 percent) from the field, 3-of-10 (30 percent) from the three-point line and 7-of-8 (87.5 percent) from the free-throw line. He also added four rebounds and seven assists.

With the Knicks’ series win, they will advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals where they will square off against the Boston Celtics. The Knicks had advanced to the semifinals last season, but were eliminated in seven games by the Indiana Pacers. To have a shot against the Celtics, the Knicks will need more performances like this from Brunson.

Article Continues Below
Related New York Knicks News
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) talks to center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the second half against the Detroit Pistons during game six of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena.
What Knicks must do to pull off 3-1 miracle vs. PacersDavid Rooney ·
Magic Johnson attends a WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx.
Knicks’ Josh Hart lineup tweak suggested by Magic JohnsonJosh Davis ·
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) stands on court during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers of game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Magic Johnson reveals change Knicks must make in Game 5Brayden Haena ·
Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller watch play during the fourth quarter of game four of the eastern conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Knicks fan Ben Stiller takes issue with Pat McAfee’s Game 4 calloutLorenzo J Reyna ·
Comedian and writer Larry David and sports media personality Stephen A. Smith attend the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena.
Knicks fans don’t need to hear Stephen A. Smith’s blunt Pacers takeRichard Pereira ·
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) in the third quarter during game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns hit with concerning injury designation for Game 5 vs. PacersMalik Brown ·

Coming into Thursday’s Game 6, Brunson had been averaging 29.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 8.4 assists with splits of 43.1 percent shooting from the field, 34.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 80.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line. In the regular season, the Knicks went 0-4 against the Celtics.

This season, Brunson was named to his second consecutive All-Star selection. He appeared in 65 games at a little over 35 minutes per game. He averaged 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists with splits of 48.8 percent shooting from the field, 38.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 82.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

While the Celtics have dominated the Knicks in the regular season, this is most likely going to be a highly anticipated playoff series.