In an extremely hard-fought series, the New York Knicks eliminated the Detroit Pistons Thursday night after a thrilling Game 6 win on a game-winning three-pointer from Jalen Brunson. The final four games of the first-round series were decided by just nine points... combined.
The Knicks won Game 6 by three points after the Pistons extended the series Tuesday with a three-point win of their own. New York won Games 3 and 4 in Detroit, first by two points, then by one.
The series was so close that it gave the NBA a first in over 40 years. According to ESPN, the Pistons-Knicks series is the second all-time to feature four straight games decided by three or fewer points in NBA postseason history. The other series to reach the same feat was the 1981 Eastern Conference finals between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics, which Boston won in seven games after overcoming a 3-1 deficit.
Now, Brunson and the Knicks move on to play the Celtics in the second round. And it took everything they had to do so. In the closeout game Thursday, Brunson scored 40 points and had seven assists, including the incredible three that sent Detroit fans home disappointed—which he was thrilled to do.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Absurd Stat Tells the Whole Story of Knicks-Pistons Historic Series.