It came down to the final five seconds of the game for the New York Knicks. Jalen Brunson crossed up Ausar Thompson (who previously said it wasn't challenging to guard Brunson) and pulled up for a three from the top of the key, nailing it to give the Knicks the 116-113 lead. The shot gave Brunson 40 points on the night.
New York barely escaped Little Caesars Arena, but at the end of the day, a win is a win. Brunson was by far the best player in the series (sorry, Cade Cunningham). The Knicks wouldn't have won Game 6 if it weren't for him. Detroit might've advanced to the second round to play Boston.
It will take more than Brunson's heroics to will the Knicks to a series win over the defending champions. It will take more than New York's five starters, but within that lies the issue. The bench has been a non-factor except for Cam Payne's heroics in Game 1. Payne, Miles McBride, and Mitchell Robinson combined for 36 minutes in Game 6, putting up six points. To put things in perspective, Dennis Schroder almost single-handedly outscored the Knicks' bench in the series.
Tom Thibodeau doesn't trust the bench, so he runs an eight-man rotation. Joe Mazzulla went with an eight-man rotation for most of the Celtics' first-round series against the Magic, but the difference is that their bench has more firepower. After all, Payton Pritchard won Sixth Man of the Year.
Knicks' bench woes will only get worse in series vs. Celtics
McBride is New York's best player off the bench, but he hasn't looked it. He didn't score in double-digits once in the first round, and didn't score at all in Game 1. He averaged 3.8 points per game on 26.7% shooting from the field and 26.3% from three. For reference, last year in the playoffs, Deuce averaged 11 points per game on 43.5% shooting from the field and 36.8% from three.
His lack of production isn't the Knicks' main problem, but they need more from him to have a chance to keep up with Boston. It's concerning that Deuce knocked down only three shots in New York's final two games of the series.
The Knicks played a physical series against the Pistons. Josh Hart said after Game 5 that his "whole body" was bothering him. Physicality always ramps up in the postseason. It doesn't help that Thibs relies so much on the starters.
New York didn't beat Boston in the regular season, making the semifinals a daunting matchup for the Knicks. It's hard enough for fans to feel confident without considering New York's lack of depth, an issue that doesn't look like it will stop hurting the Knicks in round two.