Jalen Brunson dropped yet another big performance as he scored 43 points in the New York Knicks’ 121-117 win against the Indiana Pacers. His exploits helped his team bag a 1-0 lead in the Conference Semis against a resilient Pacers side. Both teams could have won the game on the night, but it was Jalen Brunson’s clutch performance that propelled the Knicks to bag a win at the Garden.
His brilliance on the night helped him become the first player in NBA playoffs history to have four consecutive 40+ points and 5+ assists games in a row. Brunson dropped 21 of the Knicks’ 39 points in the fourth quarter. The Pacers were playing some great defense, but the 2024 All-Star was at his very best and led the way for a stunning Knicks win. He had great help from his teammates Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart who combined for 49 points on the night.
The series will resume on Thursday, May 9 at the Garden, where the Pacers will look to steal a game. They looked solid in Game 1, but Jalen Brunson’s brilliance proved to be too good for them. Myles Turner stepped up and scored 23 points during Game 1, while Pascal Siakam and TJ McConnell added 19 and 18 points respectively. Tyrese Haliburton had a poor night scoring as he managed to only get 6 points, but he made his presence felt on the defensive end by making 4 steals. He will be looking to step his game up for the remainder of the series as he is going to have to play a big role if the Pacers want to have any chance of beating the Knicks.
How important is Jalen Brunson for the New York Knicks?
Playing without Julius Randle, the New York Knicks are expected to go as far as Jalen Brunson takes them. He has been stunning for them so far, averaging a whopping 36.6 PPG. Despite all the double teams that have been thrown at him, Brunson has managed to stay effective, which shows how great a player he is. A lot of credit for his brilliance also goes to his teammates as they back him up brilliantly by contributing on both ends themselves.
The four-man lineup between Brunson, Hart, DiVincenzo and OG Anunonby is among the best for any team in the NBA Playoffs. They have averaged 64.7 PPG in the playoffs so far, which shows how good they have been together. Although a lion share of this comes from Brunson, the other three have stepped up for the Knicks when the team needed them the most.
Brunson’s brilliance has put him in elite company as he is only the first player since Michael Jordan to have four consecutive 40+ point games in the playoffs. The Pacers will be looking at ways they can contain his impact as without him, the Knicks might face trouble on the offensive end.
