Jalen Brunson added to his playoff legend with a series-clinching triple against the Pistons on Thursday night.
With the game tied and just 20 seconds on the clock, Brunson crossed up Ausar Thompson and drilled a straightaway 3-pointer with four seconds left to send New York to the second round for a third straight season, finishing a 40-point night that silenced the hostile Detroit crowd. The Brunson dagger immediately became one of the more memorable shots in recent Knicks history.
But where does it stand on that list? Is it No. 1? To keep it relatively “recent,” let’s keep it to roughly the last quarter century (so the John Starks dunk will miss the cut), and see where Brunson’s dagger stands among the best shots the franchise has seen in the playoffs.
5. Josh Hart, game six 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals
We don’t have to go far back at all for the first entry on this list, as exactly one year ago today, the Knicks finished off the 76ers in game six in Philadelphia, where Sixers ownership bought thousands of tickets to give to locals and avoid a New York takeover at the Wells Fargo center.
With the game tied and New York trying to avoid a game seven after leading the series 3-1, Hart caught a kickout at the top of the key from Brunson, faked a pass to his right, and suddenly found himself wide open after Tyrese Maxey bit on the fake to guard Donte DiVincenzo, and Hart drilled the straightaway triple to put the Knicks ahead by three with 24 seconds left.
It did not earn a double “bang” from Mike Breen, but it was a massive shot to quiet the crowd and provide the Knicks with an unlikely hero given Hart’s 31 percent clip from downtown that season. But the sometimes erratic shooter found his touch when the Knicks needed it most.
4. Donte DiVincenzo, game two 2024 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Sticking with that hard-fought first-round series against Philly, DiVencenzo’s game winner capped off a wild and furious Knicks rally to take a 2-0 series lead. Down by five and seemingly dead with 30 seconds to go, Brunson hit a corner three on a friendly roll, and on the ensuing inbounds pass, Maxey couldn’t control the ball, and DiVincenzo got a look at a go-ahead three. It missed, but Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down the offensive board, and DiVincenzo got another chance. This time, from straight on, he buried the three with 13 seconds to go, sending Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.
The Sixers were livid that no fouls were called during the scrum after Maxey couldn’t bring in the inbounds pass, but the Knicks came away with an improbable win to take a commanding lead in the series.
3. Jalen Brunson, game six 2025 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Brunson gets the edge over the two game winners in the Sixers series because this was a series clincher, and not to mention it came off of an absolutely cold-blooded crossover, while hearing “F--- you Brunson” chants and all kinds of jeers from the visiting crowd. Not to mention, it prevented Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks from having to field a lot of tough questions about the team had Brunson’s shot not gone down and the Pistons won in regulation or overtime.
2. Allan Houston, game five 1999 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
This winner-take-all game had all the dramatics, as the Knicks and Heat rivalry was at a fever pitch at the time, and top-seeded Miami was looking to close out New York after taking a late lead at home. with just over four seconds left, Houston came up from beneath the rim to field the inbounds pass and rose up at the elbow to put up a one-handed floater.
The ball was suspended in time as it kissed off the front rim, then the backboard, and down, giving New York a 78-77 lead with 0.8 seconds to go. The series winner made the Knicks the first eight seed to knock off a No. 1, and sent New York on an unforgettable run to the Finals, which was aided by...
1. Larry Johnson, game three 1999 Eastern Conference Final
With the Knicks tied 1-1 with the hated Pacers and the series shifting back to MSG, the sellout crowd bore witness to one of the greatest moments in the history of the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Trailing by three with 11 seconds left and in danger of falling behind in the series, Johnson grabbed the inbounds pass from Charlie Ward after it was tipped, squared up to the rim, and went up for a potential game-tying triple. Only it became a game-winning 4-point play as Antonio Davis was whistled for a foul as the 3-pointer went down, igniting the home crowd as LJ quickly composed himself to sink the free throw and send the Knicks to a wild win and a 2-1 series lead.
The end zone view of The Garden as the whistle blew and the shot went down remains one of the most iconic crowd reaction footages in the history of MSG.