DETROIT – One of the most improbable seasons in Detroit Pistons history ended Thursday in agonizing fashion with a 116-113 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series.
The Pistons battled back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter and led by as many as seven points in the waning minutes. The Knicks, however, battled back, and Jalen Brunson drained a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to snap a tie.
The Pistons had one last shot to tie it, but Malik Beasley couldn’t handle a pass from Cade Cunningham attempting to set him up for a three and turned the ball over.
The Pistons lost all three homes games in the series and have dropped an NBA-record 10 consecutive home playoff games dating back to 2008.
Brunson scored 40 points. The Knicks will face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting on Monday.
The Pistons were attempting to win their first playoff series in 17 years after improving from 14-68 to 44-38 in J.B. Bickerstaff’s first season as coach.
The Pistons showed resilience by battling back from big deficits to take the lead in the second and fourth quarters, but they could not maintain it.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 23 points and added seven rebounds and eight assists. Jalen Duren scored 21 points. Beasley scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half.
The Pistons trailed for nearly the entire first half, down by as many as 15 early in the second quarter before gradually chipping away at the deficit largely due to Beasley’s hot shooting.
Cunningham’s floater with 1:01 remaining gave Detroit its first lead at 58-57. Beasley’s 3-pointer at the buzzer put the Pistons ahead 61-59 at the half.
Beasley scored 18 points in the first half on 6-of-11 threes, including five in the second quarter.
His performance offset Brunson’s dominant start. Brunson scored 15 of his 20 first-half points in the first quarter, when the Knicks had runs of 11-0 and 7-0 to lead 37-23.
