You just knew it was going to be done the hard way. There was just no other way the Knicks were going to win this series. A series, that to the Pistons credit, had become an absolute slugfest. The feisty young Pistons scratched and clawed, a lot more than the Knicks did at times, making this first round series a war of attrition. The Knicks at times to their discredit allowed this Detroit squad to hang around, but in the end they got it done, thanks to the one and only Jalen Brunson.

Number 11 was rightfully awarded the clutch player of the year award and you can see why yet again. He actually was in the midst of a rare fourth quarter struggle, but it didn’t stop him from finding a way to play hero at the buzzer. Brunson finished the night 15/33 for 40 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists, a top notch stat line for the leader of this group.

Brunson was for a change backed up by Mikal Bridges, who had a terrific game six when the Knicks needed him most. Number 25 shot 11/16 from the field for 25 points, 4 boards 3 assists, an all around good night for a player in need of one. Bridges strong outing was accompanied by another nice game from OG Anunoby who had 22 points on 6 of 14 shooting, including 4 of 10 from three point land. These contributions were even more important considering the lack of output the Knicks got from Karl Anthony Towns for the second straight game, despite him having 15 boards. Josh Hart rounded out the starting five with 13 points and 10 rebounds, his usual steady nights work.

So now the Knicks having survived their scare in the Motor City and avoided game 7 are off to Boston. Their matchup with the defending champions will top off Sunday May 5th at the Gaaaaaaaaden, before it transitions to the Gawden mid week. The Celtics enter this series having just beaten Orlando in a short albeit close matchup, advancing in five games. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Knicks failed to beat Boston all regular season long. I can’t lie, my expectations are low for this next series, one we’ll try and preview before it begins. So here’s my advice for now Knicks fans.

Enjoy this series win, as it is yet another night we dreamt of in the not so distant past Knicks fans. We have one of the best players in the game, on our team, leading the way every night. He represents this city as a model ambassador and gives the fans everything they could want and more. Could this team be in real trouble next round? Sure. But they are capable of rising to the moment to deliver more against Boston than we expect. So enjoy this win tonight Knicks fans, and stay behind the team, because without us in the fight, it’s really lopsided.

On twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!