New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau gave a deadpan response to Jalen Brunson's epic return from injury against the Detroit Pistons. Game 4 of this first-round clash was not short of drama. As the Pistons launched a furious third-quarter rally against New York, the two-time All-Star went down with an apparent ankle injury to his right leg. Brunson eventually returned to the game and went on to score 15 more points to lead the Knicks to the 94-93 victory. The Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed is now up 3-1 with a chance to close the series in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Tom Thibodeau gave a few eye-opening comments on Brunson's return from injury. The star point guard has returned to games from the locker room more than a few times this season, so senior NBA writer for The Athletic, Fred Katz, asked the Knicks head coach if he's immune to these instances. Thibodeau was quick to respond to that question with a joke before breaking down how resilient and incredible a player Brunson is.
“Yeah, I think he changed his shoes. He's got a great belief, and it comes from his preparation. If you were in the gym, all the things you see in a game, those are the exact things that he works on. His body is already trained for it. That's what makes him special.”
The Knicks and their two stars showed tremendous resilience on Sunday![David Reginek-Imagn Images]()
It was a memorable win for New York as this team showed some trademark grit to pick up a second straight road win in Detroit. First and foremost, everyone on this team deserves credit for how they competed defensively. Specifically, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, who could not buy a bucket for most of this contest. Bridges did hit two huge threes late in the fourth, but his activity on the other end of the floor was critical. Both of New York's wings came away with three steals each on their end.
Now for the Knicks' two All-Stars. While Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson were constantly attacking the basket, they only combined for four free throws. Neither team was getting any calls in a game that resembled a hybrid of football and basketball for most of it. However, in the face of adversity and a swarming defense, this duo came up huge down the stretch. KAT, in particular, hit two shots with less than four minutes to go that were basically HORSE shots. Brunson subsequently continued to live up to his Clutch Player of the Year award.
Overall, there will be controversy over the end of that game. The NBA has already issued a statement on how the officials should have called a foul on Josh Hart. But the refs swallowed their whistles practically the entire game. That is how the playoffs have been practically so far. The fact of the matter is that the Knicks are up 3-1 and are the more confident team in tight games. New York will likely have to continue that trend to close this series out at home on Tuesday.
