The New York Knicks have set the stage for a major Garden party.
Up 3-1 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal set, the Knicks can secure advancement into round two with a win on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden against the Detroit Pistons. If the Knicks handle business on Tuesday night, it’ll be the first time they earn a round-winning win at MSG since their previously trip to the NBA Finals in 1999.
New York is coming off a controversial 94-93 victory on Sunday afternoon in Game 4, one that ended with officials, who admitted to missing a Josh Hart foul on his defense of Tim Hardaway’s would-be winner as time expired. It was a game that featured a comeback effort from Jalen Brunson, who earned 15 fourth quarter points after briefly fleeing for the locker due to an apparent ankle injury. Karl-Anthony Towns hit the game-winning three-pointer in the final minute.
Keep track of the full proceedings below, complete with games, news, stat, and score updates …
KNICKS: OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns
PISTONS: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Ausar Thompson
Tonight’s Officials: Marc Davis, Tyler Ford, Jacyn Goble (alternate: Andy Nagy)
Towns and Duren face off for the tip-off, won by the latter. Game 5 is underway.
11:22—The Knicks commit the game’s first turnover through a shot clock violation.
11:13—Detroit scores the first points of the game through Ausar Thompson free throws. Hart charged with the game’s first foul.
10:34—Hart gets the Knicks on the board, narrowing the gap to 4-2.
10:16—Detroit commits its first turnover when Tobias Harris steps out of bounds.
9:31—Brunson loses the ball out of bounds, committing the Knicks’ second turnover.
9:21—Cunningham is charged with an offensive foul for shoving Brunson in the paint.
8:54—Mikal Bridges is charged with his first foul.
8:17—Harris hits the game’s first three. Detroit leads 9-2.
8:09—Brunson take the Knicks’ first free throws after he is fouled by Duren. He hits one of two.
6:56—Bridges is charged with his second foul on a reach-on of Cunningham. It draws a shocked reaction from the MSG crowd. Timeout on the floor (Pistons 11, Knicks 7)
6:45—The Knicks do not challenge and Bridges remains in the game despite the two fouls. Anunoby blocks a Cunningham shot out of the timeout.
6:17—Brunson commits his first foul, which sends Duren to the line. Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson enter the game for the Knicks for Bridges and Towns respectively. Duren hits one of two. (12-7 DET)
5:45—Duren commits his second foul after landing on Hart in the fight for a rebound off his own miss. Paul Reed enters the game and is charged with a technical foul for engaging in a shoving match with Robinson. Brunson misses the technical foul shot. Malik Beasley also enters the game for Detroit, replacing Thompson
4:21—The Knicks gain momentum after another Anunoby block, this one of Hardaway. Hart hits a three in the corner and McBride hits a decue to tie the game. Detroit calls timeout after the latter’s jumper. (12-12)
3:41—Anunoby gives the Knicks their first lead off a spinning double from Brunson (14-12 NYK)
3:24—Detroit immediately takes the lead back on a Beasley triple, their first field goal in just over four minutes (15-14 DET)
2:40—Brunson loses his second turnover and the Knicks’ fifth. Ronald Holland enters for Harris.
2:18—Robinson loses the Knicks’ sixth turnover and commits a shooting foul on Holland, who hits two (17-14 DET)
1:33—After the Knicks respond to a Beasley three with a Hart double, Cunningham is charged with an offensive foul. It’s his second and he steps out for Hardaway (20-16 DET)
1:15—Robinson hits one of two at the line after a Dennis Schroder foul. They get the ball back after Hart causes a Holland turnover on the rebound (20-17 DET)
24.1—The Knicks take the lead off a Robinson putback and a Hart jumper. (21-20 NYK)
4.2—After Schroder’s jumper gives the Pistons the lead back, Brunson is fouled by Holland and successfully hits two free throws. (23-22 NYK)
0.0—Schroder misses a lay-up as time expires.
12:00—Bridges and Towns re-enter the game. Cameron Payne also enters for the first time for New York.
10:16—After hitting a jumper (25-22 NYK), Payne draws an offensive foul from Holland, who exits for Hardaway.
9:56—Following a Robinson dunk on a putback (27-22 NYK), Harris goes down after enduring friendly fire from Duren. Detroit calls timeout.
9:30—Harris is able to return to the game and immediately hits a three (27-25 NYK)
8:50—Harris scores again, this time from mid-range, to tie the game (27-27)
8:34—Bridges hits his first field goal the day (29-27 NYK)
8:14—Schroder responds with a driving layup on the other end (29-29)
8:00—With his ninth rebound of the day, Robinson scores on another putback to give the Knicks the lead back. (31-29 NYK)
7:12—Another drive from Harris, the game’s leading scorer to date, leads to a Knicks timeout. (31-31) Cade Cunningham (1-of-6) re-enters the game after the timeout.
6:42—A Thompson drive off a feed from Hardaway gives Detroit the lead (33-31 DET)
5:50—Brunson (0-of-5) is charged with his second foul.
5:25—Following a Harris block of a Bridges drive, Hardaway is fouled on a successful fast break by Towns. He hits the awarded free throw (36-31 DET)
4:18—Following some exchanged baskets (40-35 DET), Duren commits a foul away from the ball. Schroder comes in for him.
3:54—Anunoby continues a streak of seven consecutive points for New York, hitting the team’s first three of the period (40-38 DET).
3:34—The Knicks fall into the penalty after Hart fouls Thompson. The latter misses both awarded free throws.
3:18—The Knicks get the lead back on Towns’ successful and-one, Harris on the foul. (41-40 NYK)
3:02—Schroder’s drive give the Pistons the lead back (42-41 DET)
2:45—Further heroics from Towns, his first three off the feed from Hart, puts the Knicks back ahead. (44-42 NYK)
2:09—Schroder keeps his streak going with an equalizing double and go-ahead three (47-44 DET)
1:55—Duren becomes the latest to be charged with two fouls. Towns hits one of two. (47-45 DET)
1:30—Hart is charged with his third foul. Thompson misses both freebies.
1:10—Brunson hits his first field goal of the game to force another tie (47-47)
38.1—Hart corrals a Thompson block of Brunson and dishes it to a streaking Karl-Anthony Towns for the two and the lead (49-47 NYK)
16.1—Brunson goes to the line for two. Cunningham re-enters despite three fouls. The captain sinks the second, but Robinson is called for a foul. Hardaway sinks two on the other end via penalty foul shots (50-49 NYK).
0.0—Reed intercepts a Knicks pass on their last possession before Thompsons misses a desperation heave from over 50 feet away. The first half os over.
Live updates will continue when the third quarter begins
