SUMMARY
- Jalen Brunson scored 44 points to lead the Knicks to a 3-2 lead against the Pacers.
- Brunson became the first player since LeBron James in 2018 and the 11th player in NBA history to record 5+ forty-point games in the playoffs.
According to several experts and fans of the game of basketball, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks are having a fluke of a run. But this isn’t the idea that Brunson and his teammates are trying to portray especially after what happened in Game 5. The Knicks walked away with a dominant 121-91 win while Brunson experienced another eruption on the offensive end. This win was a sigh of relief for the Knicks especially after they came off two losses on the road.
Now with a chance to close out the series, Brunson has serious expectations from his teammates. He said, “I expect my teammates to be ready to do for game six in front of their crowd. So whatever adjustments we make we’re going to make. But two teams are going to be ready to play.” Unfortunately, the Knicks are still under-manned with OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson’s injuries. But they’re making good use of late-rotation players who can have an impact.
Jalen Brunson’s playoff run has taught him one big lesson
The Knicks are possibly facing the most challenging playoff run amongst every other team left in the postseason. With multiple men down, it wasn’t easy for them to play at Indianapolis with a seven-man roster. However, Jalen Brunson’s leadership will play a vital role in the outcome of this series. He believes the playoffs have taught him to put the past behind him and focus on the end goal and the next task at hand.
“One thing that I’ve learned in the playoffs is that one game does not have any effect on the next. And so no matter what the situation is, whether you lose by one, lose by 30. It has nothing to do with the next game. So honestly, once we leave here tonight, you know this is over with. It’s all about how do we prepare for game six,” he said.
It was a fairly dominant run for the Knicks in Game 5 as they took control of the pace and forced multiple turnovers. They also dominated the paint despite being two or three of their top big men. New York scored 62 points against the Indiana Pacers’ 36 within the paint. They managed to grab more offensive rebounds for second-chance points as well.
Tom Thibodeau compliments Jalen Brunson’s win-first mentality
At the end of it all, Jalen Brunson was the one who stood out the most in Game 5. He recorded 44 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists while shooting 18-35 from the field. He became the first individual to record five or more 40-point games in the playoffs since 2018. LeBron James was the last to achieve this incredible milestone. Jalen also became the 11th in NBA history to have 5+ 40-point pieces in the post-season.
Jalen Brunson is the 11th player in NBA History with 5+ playoff games of 40+ PTS in a single postseason.
9 of those players are Hall of Famers.
The other one is named LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/bstMdl1WZ6
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) May 15, 2024
“As much as you talk about him [Brunson] and you talk about him a lot, and rightfully so, it’s not enough and what he means to the team,” said Tom Thibodeau. He added, “He’s so willing to share everything with his teammates… To me, that’s the best part of him… And I love there’s never been any excuse-making from him. He’s never talking about injuries, and like a lot of times, you hear people talking about their injuries. It’s all excuse-making. You never get that from him.”
“I just love, there’s never any excuse making from him” – Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau on what makes Jalen Brunson such a game changer.@jalenbrunson1 | @nyknicks | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/AdcmRx9nXf
— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) May 15, 2024
Thibodeau highlighted how Brunson always aims to outplay himself on the floor every night despite having dominant performances. He currently averages 33.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game in the playoffs. Brunson has been dealing with minor foot ailments but that hasn’t seemed to be bothering him.