Jalen Brunson’s wife Ali was like the rest Knicks faithful when he hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds in a 116-113 win over the Pistons in Game 6 to wrap up the first-round series Thursday.
“Screaming crying throwing up,” Ali wrote on her Instagram Story, including a video of Jalen’s step-back dagger at the top of the key with the teams tied, 113-113.
Brunson, who was named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, became the hero the Knicks needed as they closed out the series at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit — and avoided a Game 7 back at Madison Square Garden.
It’s unclear if Ali was at Game 6.
The two-time All-Star and Ali tied the knot in July 2023 at Chicago’s Ritz-Carlton, and they welcomed their daughter, Jordyn James Brunson, a year later.
Brunson’s 25-footer gave him 40 points on the night, which led all scorers.
He also added four rebounds and seven assists.
It marked the fifth game of the series in which Brunson finished with at least 30 points.
Knicks guard Mikal Bridges finished with 25 points, including a game-tying tip-in with less than one minute remaining, and OG Anunoby added 22 points.
Brunson’s heroic shot invoked the rare “double bang” from announcer Mike Breen.
“He’s at his best when his best is needed,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson. “He’s done it all year. That’s what makes him special.”
The third-seeded Knicks will face the second-seeded Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Game 1 of the series is set for Monday night in Boston.
“We’re playing the defending champs next time, so it’s going to be a lot different,” Brunson said. “Playing this team we just played — I’m not discrediting them at all — but they didn’t have the same experience. The Celtics have experience.”