With Injuries & History Working Against the Knicks, Jalen Brunson Has Lit a Fire in New York
Do you remember those 7th-grade science experiments? “Light your Bunsen Burner,” the teacher says. You need a source of heat to create a chemical reaction, and the smallest spark ignites a gas-powered flame. Welcome to the Knicks’ 2024 playoff run…
New York basketball fans have a lot of built-up “gas” over the past quarter-century. It’s been 24 years since the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals (over 50 years since they’ve won a title). There’s always room for optimism in NYC, but it’s usually followed by disappointment. With injuries to Julius Randle (shoulder surgery), Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery), Bojan Bogdanovic (foot surgery), and OG Anunoby (hamstring), the Knicks’ season should’ve unraveled. It hasn’t. Knicks fans are bringing the gas, and Jalen Brunson (the Brunson Burner) has lit the spark.
The Brunson Burner 🔥
At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Brunson is The Little Engine That Could take the Knicks all the way. He’s terrorizing opponents in these playoffs at a record clip (33.9 ppg), and he has the short-handed Knicks on the doorstep of their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000. Remember that team? They had Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson, and Marcus Camby — a combined 19 all-star appearances. This year’s medically-rendered ‘24 roster has Brunson (1x All-Star) and a bunch of Villanova guards doing more than expected. They shouldn’t be here, but they are.
Stat of the Story: Brunson’s 33.9 ppg average in the playoffs is the highest for a player of his size (6’2”) — more than the best postseasons of Allen Iverson (32.9 ppg) and Steph Curry (30.5 ppg).
Brunson’s 40-Point Tracker
What Brunson’s done through two series, particularly in clutch moments and pivotal swing games, is remarkable. He recorded his fifth 40-point game in Tuesday’s Game 5 must-win (44 pts). That gave him five 40-pieces in 11 playoff games, and it puts him in elite company with (potentially) one or two series left.
Players With 5+ 40-Point Games in a Playoff Run
8: LeBron James (2018)
7: Michael Jordan (1989)
6: Michael Jordan (1990 & 1993)
6: Allen Iverson (2001)
6: Bernard King (1984)
5: Jalen Brunson (2024)
5: Shaquille O’Neal (2000)
5: Hakeem Olajuwon (1995)
The Knicks go for the Game 6 kill-shot against the Pacers in Indy tonight. Should they fail, Game 7 Sunday at Madison Square Garden will be a raucous affair. New York can feel it. The chemicals are reacting. The spark has been lit. And Jalen Brunson lit it.
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MSN: Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Approaching MJ, LeBron With 5th 40-Point Game
CBS Sports: ‘Nova Knicks’: Brunson, Hart & DiVincenzo Are on a Historic Playoff Run