Knicks and Nuggets have a chance to eliminate Pistons and Clippers from NBA playoffs

DETROIT (AP) — Two teams will have a chance to advance in the NBA playoffs on Thursday night against franchises playing a Game 6 on their home court in each conference. All four squads will count on key players they added over the last year. The third-seeded New York Knicks will get a second shot at eliminating the sixth-seeded Detroit Pistons in an Eastern Conference first-round series. In the nightcap, the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets will have their first opportunity to get past the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the West. New York, in a quest to at least reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, made win-now moves to acquire Karl-Antony Towns and Mikal Bridges to complement Jalen Brunson. With Brunson banged up in Game 5, Towns and Bridges scored 17 points apiece. Detroit, desperately seeking relevance, welcomed Tobias Harris back for a second tour with the team as part of a busy summer that surrounded Cade Cunningham with some veterans. In a season-extending win in New York on Tuesday night, Harris became the first Pistons player in a playoff game to fill out the box score with 17 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, two assists and two steals. "He is our safety blanket," Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "He's reliable. He's dependable. He understands what needs to happen in the moment. He's an unbelievable human being, unbelievable teammate. Fierce competitor." Denver, trying to win an NBA title for the second time in two years, signed nine-time All-Star and former Clippers guard Russell Westbrook to improve the roster with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. Westbrook, looking like the MVP he was eight years ago, had 13 points in a seven-minute stretch in the first half of Game 5 and finished with 21 points of a 131-115 win at Denver that gave the Nuggets a 3-2 lead in the series. Los Angeles, seeking a new formula to win after choosing not to keep All-Star Paul George, added depth with subtle moves such as acquiring Kris Dunn from Utah in a trade that involved Westbrook to give the Kawhi Leonard-led team more depth. Dunn, who has started each playoff game, scored 15 points on Tuesday night for his second double-digit scoring performance against Denver. New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons When/Where to Watch: Game 6, 7:30 p.m. EDT (TNT) Series: Knicks lead 3-2. BetMGM Sportsbook: Knicks by 2.5. What to Know: Each team has won two games on the road. If the Pistons lose a third straight game at Little Caesars Arena, they will be eliminated and break an NBA record with a 10th straight home playoff loss in a skid that dates to 2008. "Need to protect the crib now," Cunningham said. "Never say die. We're still in it." Cunningham is the third NBA player to have at least 120 points, 40 rebounds and 40 assists in his first five playoff games, joining Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and five-time All-Star Luka Doncic. The Knicks are limping back to the Motor City. Brunson aggravated his injured right ankle in Game 5. "I'm all good," Brunson said after he had as many field goals (four) as turnovers and was stuck on the sideline late in the game because coach Tom Thibodeau chose not to call a timeout. Josh Hart has a wrist ailment, but said his whole body is hurting and Thibodeau said OG Anunoby also missed some time Tuesday night with an injury. Detroit has been without rugged center Isaiah Stewart (knee) since he played in Game 1 and shooting guard Jaden Ivey since he broke his leg in January. Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers When/Where to Watch: Thursday, Game 6, 10 p.m. EDT (TNT) Series: Nuggets lead, 3-2 BetMGM Sportsbook: Clippers by 6.5. What to Know: The Jokic-led Nuggets have two chances to close out the series, just as they did last year, and are hoping for a different result. Denver lost Game 6 in Minnesota and then blew a 20-point, second-half lead in Game 7 at home in the second-round exit. Jokic refuses to spend too much time looking back. "I'm just playing," he said after he had 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in Game 5. For the Clippers, they simply would like to avoid falling behind by big margins. In the last two games, they trailed by 22 points before climbing back. "Just trying to stay in the game early instead of trying to make the heroic comebacks," Leonard said. "That's all we can do. We've got to fight." The Clippers are trying to find a way to get James Harden back on track. He's 8 of 20 from the floor — 1 of 4 from 3-point range — over the last two losses.