Brunson could not re-enter for the stretch run, when he so often thrives. It cost the Knicks the opportunity to close out this series, which shifts to Detroit for Game 6.

It’s also time for Tom Thibodeau to amp up the two-man game with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT showed off his range with clutch shots in Detroit earlier in the series, and the Knicks’ easiest path to points surely involves more of that pick-and-pop action.

Surprisingly, the Knicks filed an entirely clean report with the league, with two key starters--Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart--notable for their absence. Both Hart and Brunson were centers of attention late in the Knicks' Game 5 loss at Madison Square Garden, because each went out with just under three minutes to play because of injuries.