Neither of the Knicks and Pistons ever really channeled the necessary competence to win their first-round playoff series in convincing fashion, and so its outcome was largely left to the bounces of fate. The series, which ended 4-2 in favor of the Knicks after last night's 116–113 victory, could have just as easily gone the other way had a few moments (and one particularly big one) unfolded differently. The same can be said about a lot of playoff series, though, and what usually ends up making the difference are the players who can cut through the randomness at the right time.
Jalen Brunson, who finished with 40 points on 15-of-33 shooting in Game 6, does not always feel like one of those players. He is undoubtedly one of the best clutch performers in the league, but his style of play often makes it feel like he is guided through those moments not by athletic genius, but a intrinsic Mr. Magoo–style talent for ending up where he needs to be. At its worst, this looks like a lot of flopping. At its best, this looks like Brunson dribbling and jump-stopping himself into trouble, and then using his incredible footwork and body control to force open a shooting angle that didn't previously exist. Watching this series mostly left me with the certainty that Brunson would drive me absolutely insane if he was playing against my team. Stop letting him do that stuff! He's too tiny for that!
With under two minutes to play and the Knicks trailing by four, Brunson went Magoo Mode. After driving and bumping past Dennis Schröder to get all the way to the rim, Brunson started to dribble along the baseline towards the right corner. And then suddenly he just stopped, dribbled the ball twice while kind of half-waddling and half-falling backwards, spun back towards the basket, pump-faked Schröder into the air, and finished with his left.
This was an objectively impressive basket, and undoubtedly crazy-making for anyone rooting for the other team. Perhaps it was a kindness, then, that when Brunson's game-winning shot arrived 90 seconds later, it left the people of Detroit nothing to complain about. Isolated against defensive demon Ausar Thompson, Brunson took a hard dribble to his left, crossed over to his right, and moseyed into a wide-open three-pointer while Thompson was left sliding in the wrong direction, totally out of the play. I didn't think it was possible for anyone not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to cook a Thompson twin this badly, and yet there was Brunson, shooting the ball all by himself and winning the game.
Where this shot ultimately gets sorted into Knicks playoff lore is a question for another day. For now, the city of New York can rest a little easier knowing that they have a guy who can grab hold of a messy series when necessary, and apply a bit of necessary polish.
