21 Straight 4th Quarter Points! NY 123 Detroit 112

April 20, 2025 LouV 2024-25 0
Karl-Anthony Towns, aka KAT, aka The Big Bodega (Cat), aka DEFENSIVE DEMON in 4th! Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

Cameron Payne joined Jalen Brunson and the Knick defense to ignite a 21-0 4th quarter run by the Knicks, to turn an 8-pt deficit into a 13-pt lead with 5 minutes left — as NY took Game 1 of the playoff series vs Detroit, 123-112 at an Explosively LOUD Madison Square Garden on an early Saturday evening.

The Knicks were in doldrums all evening until that point — as Detroit had an answer and then some for everything they did. Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway, and Malik Beasley were shooting lights-out from 3, and Detroit had turned a 73-73 tie into a 91-83 lead entering the 4th quarter.

NY was down 98-90 with 9:06 left in the game when Cam Payne scored on a drive-and-1 to begin the 21-straight-point run. With MSG Super Loud in support, Jalen Brunson hit a drive, Payne hit a 3, and Brunson hit an amazing drive for a tie game.

The Knick Defense intensified and Beasley and Hardaway started missing shots. Karl-Anthony Towns became a maniac on Defense — intimidating shots down low and intercepting passes in the open court. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart were all over the place — and soon the Knicks were running the Pistons off the court.

“It’s 1 win, and now we have to reset and get ready for the next one,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “Understand what goes into it. There’s a lot of things that we can do better.”

“He’s a great energy guy, and every day he’s the same,” added Thibodeau when asked about Payne. “It’s high energy every day. You can be flat in a game, and he’s a catalyst. He gets in there and makes things happen.”

1. Game Tied 27-27 After 1 Quarter

The game started at 6pm on a beautiful, warm, 80-degree Saturday afternoon. It was tied 27-all after 1 quarter as the two teams felt each other out.

Detroit had won 3 of 4 matchups during the regular season — NY blew Detroit out in the 1st matchup; were without KAT for the 2nd matchup; were on the back-end of a back-to-back in the 3rd matchup; and were without OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson for the 4th matchup.

Tobias Harris was scoring for Detroit as were Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr.

2. OG Leads Knicks to 57-55 Halftime Lead

Harris continued to score for Detroit in the 2nd quarter — he had 21 points at the half. OG Anunoby led NY — OG had 19 points on 6-11 shooting (3-5 from 3) with 2 steals and a block in the 1st half.

It was at about this time that the Yankees were blowing an 8-4 lead in the 9th inning.

3. Schroder, Beasley, Hardway Lead Detroit to 91-83 Lead

The game continued tight in the 3rd quarter — Detroit was staying in it by hitting 3’s and knifing thru the Knick defense at times for easy buckets.

Mitchell Robinson entered to give NY better interior Defense, and slammed off a Brunson missed drive.

But it was Detroit that was able to amp up their D. The game was tied 72-72 with 5:49 left when Dennis Schroder entered the game for Detroit.

Schroder’s defense ignited Detroit, and Beasley and Hardaway Jr. started hitting rhythm 3’s. Hardaway Jr. hit free throws off a drive at the end of the quarter to give Detroit a 91-83 lead.

4. Knicks with 21 Straight Points in 4th

Karl-Anthony Towns scored the first 5 points of the 4th quarter, the first on a tough fall-away drive from the left side, and then a 3 — and NY was back within 91-88.

But Detroit came right back — an Ausar Thompson bucket-and-1 inside, and another drive and Detroit was up 96-88 again. It was not looking good for NY.

Payne Ignites the Run

Cam Payne snaked in for a drive but Dennis Schroder answered with a drive and NY was down 8 again, at 98-90.

Brunson Returns

But Payne again took it to the basket for a drive-and-1, and while he was taking the free throw, Jalen Brunson re-entered the game after tweaking his previously sprained ankle in the 3rd quarter.

Brunson looked A-OK as he hit a floater off a drive the next time down after Beasely missed a 3 — and NY was within 3 at 98-95.

Beasley missed another 3, KAT came down and took a heat check from the logo — missed — but Josh Hart got the rebound, fed Payne who hit another 3 and it was a tie game!

Detroit time out.

It was Tim Hardaway Jr’s turn to start missing — he missed a 3 and Jalen Brunson came down and made a nifty drive-and-1 for a 100-98 Knick lead as MSG Erupted.

“Jalen Brunson stays in attack mode by always putting his defender at his mercy by dictating where he wants to go along with his use of fundamentals and his ability to get himself to the line,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “But also did a good job creating for others while valuing the basketball. Lead by example.”

KAT Defense

Karl-Anthony Town’s told all the people who said he was weak defensively to go fuck themselves down the stretch.

Brunson missed the free throw off the drive-and-1 but down the other end, KAT intimidated Jalen Duren into a miss down low, and Cam Payne hit ANOTHER 3 and NY was up 103-98.

OG Anunoby then blocked a Cade Cunningham shot, Cunningham got the ball back — but KAT intercepted a Cunningham pass and fed Hart who fed Brunson for a layup and NY was up 105-98.

KAT then intercepted another Cunningham pass and fed Hart who fed Brunson for ANOTHER layup. NY 107 Detroit 98.

Hardaway Jr. missed another 3 and KAT found Josh Hart on a Beautiful pass inside for a 109-98 Knick lead!

Then KAT RIPPED DOWN a rebound off a Tobias Harris miss, and fed it up-court where Brunson found Hart for another layup. NY 111 Detroit 98. 21 straight points.

NY held the lead down the stretch.

Detroit began a desperate, very physical defense in the final 3 minutes, and the refs weren’t calling anything — as Detroit manhandled the Knicks into some turnovers.

Mikal Bridges re-entered the game with 2 minutes left to guard Tobias Harris after he hit a drive-and-1 to pull Detroit with 10 with 2:30 left.

Bridges stuck a J with 1:41 left to give NY a 9-pt lead, but a Cade Cunningham drive and then a 3 pulled Detroit within 6 with 1:21 left.

Brunson answered with a drive, Cunningham missed a 3, and Brunson fed Hart for a drive with 43 seconds left for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401767820

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*