Brunson goes for 40 as Knicks eliminate Pistons

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, left, celebrates with forward OG Anunoby, center, and guard Josh Hart after scoring the winning basket against the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of their first-round Eastern Conference series on Thursday. Duane Burleson / ap

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The Associated Press

Jalen Brunson made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left and finished with 40 points to lead the visiting New York Knicks to a 116-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night and into the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Detroit didn’t get a shot off to potentially tie the game and send it to overtime because Malik Beasley fumbled a pass with four-tenths of a second left.

The third-seeded Knicks will face second-seeded Boston, shooting to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000.

Mikal Bridges had 25 points and OG Anunoby added 22 for the Knicks.

The sixth-seeded Pistons had an unprecedented turnaround during the regular season and ended the NBA’s longest playoff losing streak in their first postseason appearance since 2019, but broke another league mark with a 10th straight setback at home dating to 2008.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Cunningham was 0 for 8 on 3-pointers and his backcourt mate Tim Hardaway Jr. was 1 of 6 beyond the arc and scored seven points.

Kings hire Christie as full-time coach: The Sacramento Kings announced they have hired Doug Christie as their full-time head coach following an interim stint that ended with a loss in the play-in tournament.

The Kings announced the hiring on Thursday in the first major decision made since Scott Perry was hired after the season as general manager.

“I’ve known Doug a long time and have been impressed with his leadership, presence, and ability to connect deeply with his players,” Perry said in a statement. “He embodies the core values we believe in — toughness, discipline, professionalism, a defensive mindset, and a selfless, team-oriented approach on offense. Our goal is to support him fully and help set the stage for his long-term success. We’re excited to move forward with Doug as our leader.”

Christie took over the Kings after Mike Brown was fired in late December and posted a 27-24 record in his interim stint.

Christie previously played for the Kings and served as both an assistant coach and announcer.

“I am deeply humbled to be named head coach of the Sacramento Kings,” he said. “This organization and city have been home for over 20 years. I want to thank the Kings organization and Scott for their support during this process. For me, this opportunity is all about service to the team, the organization, and the city of Sacramento. My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this new chapter.”

Celtics’ Holiday wins another sportsmanship award: Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics has won the NBA’s sportsmanship award for the second time, making him the fifth player in league history to win that trophy in multiple years.