Jalen Brunson, Cameron Payne Lead Knicks to Comeback Win

Pain and Payne defined the 2025 postseason opener for the New York Knicks.

A fantastic fourth propelled the Knicks to a comeback victory, as they downed the Detroit Pistons 123-112 on Saturday evening at Madison Square Garden. New York thus takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, their fourth playoff meeting against Detroit.

Vocal playoff pleasantries became panic for New York when franchise face Jalen Brunson appeared to tweak the ankle that kept him out for a month in the latter stages of the regular season. But an unexpected collaboration with reserve guard Cameron Payne saved the night and, perhaps, the Knicks' postseason journey.

Upon Brunson's re-entry after a brief retreat into the New York locker room, the Knicks staged a 21-0 run that permanently shifted momentum and thrust MSG into hysterics. Brunson and Payne united to put up all but the final four points of that run, which turned an eight-point deficit into a lead that summitted at 13. New York won the fourth by a 40-21 final as Brunson and Payne shot a combined 9-of-12 from the field.

Partaking in its first playoff game since 2019, Detroit was paced by 25 points from Tobias Harris, though only three came in the second half. Malik Beasley scored all but two of his 20 points on six three-pointers while franchise face Cade Cunningham had a 21-point, 12-assist double-double that required 21 attempts from the field.

Game 2 of the series is set to be staged on Monday night at MSG (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT).