Knicks advance and face tough test against defending champion Celtics in 2nd round of NBA playoffs

DETROIT (AP) — The New York Knicks made major moves to bolster their roster, adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, in the hopes of contending for an NBA title.

The Knicks are about to find out if they have what it takes.

New York beat the Detroit Pistons 116-113 in Game 6 of their first-round series, setting up a matchup with the Boston Celtics.

Game 1 is Monday night in Boston, where the second-seeded Celtics will try to keep home-court advantage against the third-seeded Knicks.

“They’re the defending champion so we’re going to have to be at our best,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Even though Detroit challenged the Knicks in the closely contested series, they know the next test will be tougher.

“We’re playing against the defending champs next time so it’s going to be a lot different," said Jalen Brunson, who made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left and scored 40 points on Thursday night. "The Celtics have experience. (The Pistons) brought the fight to us and we had to respond and we did.”

The margin of victory in the four straight New York-Detroit games was three or fewer points, marking the second time that has happened in NBA history. Boston and Philadelphia were the only other teams to do it during the 1981 Eastern Conference finals.

After losing in the second round the past two years and aiming to at least make the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, New York got aggressive.

Towns was acquired from Minnesota for a first-round pick, three-time All-Star Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, who set the single-season franchise record for 3-pointers last season.

Bridges was taken off Brooklyn's roster for four first-round picks.

While Towns was relatively quiet in Game 6, scoring 10 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, Bridges was one of the best players on the court.

The 28-year-old small forward had 25 points, four rebounds, three assists and a block in the series finale.

“I wouldn’t be in that position without (Bridges) and the way he played,” Brunson said. "Obviously, everyone’s going to say a lot about the last shot, but throughout the game, the ups and downs of it, we all stayed composed, and it was tremendous. I give a lot of credit to my teammates.”

Brunson, though, was and is the team's brightest star.

A week after winning the NBA's clutch player of the year award, Brunson's crossover dribble between his legs created space against pesky defender Ausar Thompson for the winning 3-pointer.

“Once he got some separation, I knew it was curtains,” Bridges said.

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President of the New York Knicks Leon Rose, left, hugs guard Jalen Brunson (11) as they leave the court following a Game 6 win in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates with forward OG Anunoby, center, and guard Josh Hart (3) after scoring the winning basket in a win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau shouts at an official during the second half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne celebrates after a win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) is greeted by the president of the New York Knicks, Leon Rose, following a Game 6 win over the Detroit Pistons in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)