Knicks win thrilling Game 4 on controversial no-call as Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns play hero

DETROIT — Who says Karl-Anthony Towns can’t come up big in the playoffs?

When the Knicks needed him most — after a shaky effort most of the second half — their center was there in the clutch.

Towns’ 3-pointer with 46.6 seconds left, after he had scored on a difficult baseline jumper on the previous possession, gave the Knicks the lead for good in a thrilling and bizarre 94-93 Game 4 victory at pulsating Little Caesars Arena.

The Knicks went from up 16 points in the first half, to down 11 in the fourth quarter, to finding a way to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven, opening-round series. They can close out the series back at the Garden on Tuesday night.

Jalen Brunson scored 15 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, after appearing to reinjure his right ankle late in the third, and the Knicks defense came up big late, getting two stops in the final 37.1 seconds.

The crowd booed the officials at the horn, after Josh Hart may have fouled Dennis Schröder on a 3 at the buzzer. No call was made, and the Knicks had a gritty victory to celebrate.

Towns finished with 27 points and nine rebounds, Brunson had 11 assists, and Hart added 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Brunson pulled the Knicks even at 84-85 with 4:07 remaining on a stepback 3-pointer, capping a furious 16-5 run. Schröder and Cunningham answered with jumpers, but the Knicks responded.

The Knicks were in complete control until the end of the second quarter.

The Pistons were struggling mightily on the offensive end, missing their first 11 3-point attempts. At one point, they had nine turnovers and 10 made field goals.

But they closed the period on an 11-2 burst, trimming a 16-point deficit to seven. Harris, who started 2-of-11 from the field, had a pair of 3-point plays, waking up the dormant crowd.

Otherwise, it was a strong half for the Knicks, who quickly built a double-figure advantage behind Towns and Brunson. The two combined for 25 first-half points, and Brunson had seven assists. As in Game 3, he started Sunday’s contest by looking to get his teammates involved.

But Brunson did miss a layup in traffic late in the second quarter that would’ve given the Knicks an 18-point lead, and the Pistons proceeded to go on their run over the final 1:55 of the half.

Considering Detroit shot 37 percent from the field and made only 2-of-16 3-point attempts along with 10 turnovers, the Knicks should’ve led by more.

It got worse for the Knicks after halftime. They started the third quarter with four empty possessions and had just four points over 7:59 of game action going back to the first half.

The Pistons outscored them 23-4 in that stretch, taking a three-point lead. Hart’s 3-pointer stabilized the game momentarily, but the Pistons kept on coming, playing with the urgency of a team that knew its season was on the line.

They held a seven-point lead going into the fourth quarter after doubling up the Knicks 28-14 in the third.