"Jalen Brunson guides Knicks to 4th-quarter comeback against Pistons in NBA recap"
Jalen Brunson overcame a sluggish beginning to tally 34 points as the New York Knicks dominated the final quarter in a 123-112 win against the visiting Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Saturday.
Game 2 will take place on Monday in New York before the series moves to Detroit on Thursday.
The Knicks rallied from an eight-point deficit by outscoring the Pistons 33-14 in the last 9:16. They took control with a massive 21-0 run that lasted nearly 4 1/2 minutes and gave them a 111-98 lead. Brunson contributed eight points in the surge, all in the paint, and gave the Knicks the lead for good with a difficult 2-footer over Tim Hardaway Jr. with 7:16 remaining, breaking a 98-98 tie.
OG Anunoby added 19 of his 23 points in the first half and Karl Anthony-Towns chipped in 13 of his 23 in the second half, along with 11 rebounds and five assists overall. Reserve Cameron Payne also had 14 points, including the tying 3-pointer in New York's extended run.
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 25 points, but Detroit extended their losing streak in the postseason to 15 games, dating back to Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals.
Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT)
Aaron Gordon scored six of his 25 points in overtime, Russell Westbrook made a crucial defensive play in the final seconds, and the Denver Nuggets came back to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
Nikola Jokic finished with 29 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds, while Jamal Murray added 21 points, Westbrook had 15, and Christian Braun contributed 11 for Denver, who will host Game 2 on Monday night.
James Harden led the Clippers with 32 points and 11 assists, Ivica Zubac had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard scored 22, Norman Powell had 12, and Kris Dunn finished with 11.
Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
Jaden McDaniels recorded 25 points and nine rebounds, while Anthony Edwards added 22 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game of their Western Conference playoff series.
Naz Reid scored 23 points and Julius Randle had 16 as the No. 6 seed Timberwolves improved to 5-0 in first-round games over the past two seasons. Minnesota shot 51.2 percent from the floor and went 21 of 42 from 3-point range. Edwards briefly left the game in the third quarter with a left leg injury but returned, while Reid also suffered an injury late in the game.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 37 points and eight rebounds, while LeBron James added 19 points. Austin Reaves had 16 points after a slow start for Los Angeles, who were outscored 25-6 on fast-break points and 43-13 in bench points.
Pacers 117, Bucks 98
Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam combined for 27 points in a dominant first half, Tyrese Haliburton orchestrated a high-efficiency offense with 12 assists, and the Indiana Pacers cruised to a win against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first game of their Eastern Conference playoff series in Indianapolis.
Siakam finished with 25 points, Myles Turner added 19, and Nembhard had 17, helping the fourth-seeded Pacers take an early lead in the best-of-seven series. Haliburton also contributed 10 points and seven rebounds, while Bennedict Mathurin had 13 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the fifth-seeded Bucks with 36 points, but they were without star guard Damian Lillard, who was sidelined with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. No other Milwaukee starter scored in double figures, with AJ Green scoring 15 points off the bench, Gary Trent Jr. adding 14, and Kevin Porter Jr. finishing with 12.
