NBA background is filled with prominent regular-season entertainers that, for one factor or one more, just can not appear to obtain it done when it matters most in the playoffs. It’s risk-free to claim that Jalen Brunson is not one of those gamers.
You might have discovered the New york city Knicks’ point player making clutch basket after clutch basket this postseason– consisting of an unscrupulous game-winner to send out the Detroit Pistons packaging in the preliminary– and the numbers definitely back up the eye examination. With 9 fourth-quarter factors in the Knicks’ 91-90 Video game 2 resurgence triumph over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Brunson is currently the initial gamer in the NBA’s play-by-play period (because 1997) to rack up a minimum of 83 fourth-quarter factors via the initial 8 video games of 2 various playoff runs (2024 and 2025).
Just 2 others have actually achieved the accomplishment as soon as– Stephen Curry in 2023 and Kobe Bryant in 2008.
Brunson has actually been particularly ruining in New york city’s 2 magnificent resurgence triumphes over Boston to open their second-round collection, outscoring the whole Celtics group, 17-13, in the last 5 fourth-quarter mins of both video games. He racked up all 6 Knicks factors in the last 2 mins of Video game 2, consisting of the consent totally free tosses with 13 secs left.
” It’s an emphasis that I require to contend that minute,” Brunson claimed after Wednesday’s win. “Can not actually fret about what took place formerly in the video game. It’s everything about simply concentrating, having a clear mind, simply attempting to win the video game. That’s simply my state of mind, and I would not be by doing this without my colleagues.”
The All-NBA guard is the primary reason the Knicks have actually been leading in clutch circumstances this postseason (video games within 5 factors with 5 mins staying), flaunting a plus-21 internet score while winning 5 of their 7 certifying video games. Brunson is additionally the organization’s leading clutch marker this postseason (minimal 3 video games), and the Knicks are a league-best plus-31 in his crunch-time mins.
It should not come as much of a shock for those that have actually seen Brunson throughout the period. There’s a.
