Jalen Brunson helped the New York Knicks win their first postseason series in a decade on Wednesday while also equaling one of the franchise’s greatest players with his performance.
Brunson scored a team-high 23 points in New York’s series-clinching 106-95 Game 5 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, joining Hall of Famer Walt Frazier as the only Knicks player to post five 20-plus-point games in the playoffs.
The 26-year-old shot 8-of-22 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, adding four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
While many thought Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was bound for New York last offseason, the Knicks put their eggs in Brunson’s basket, and the decision looks better by the day.
Even though the two changed uniforms and conferences, the results have stayed the same. For the second season in a row, Mitchell’s season ends at the hands of Brunson, who is now 8-3 overall and 2-0 in playoff series against the four-time All-Star, per StatMuse.
Over the five-game series against Cleveland, Brunson averaged 24 points, 4.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals, shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 29 percent from three.
Brunson is undoubtedly the king of New York right now, but his teammate Josh Hart confirmed that he’s also a star player on the floor.
Hart initially joked that Brunson was “undersized, overrated and overpaid,” mocking those who’ve doubted the Knicks’ standout. Although, Hart ultimately gave Brunson his flowers.
“He showed that last year in the playoffs, he showed that this whole season,” Hart said, via the MSG Network. “Now he’s continuing to show it. Continuing to prove people wrong, and there ain’t a person in that locker room or in that front office or coaching staff that is surprised by how he’s playing.”
Brunson and the Knicks now await their opponent for the conference semifinals. They’ll face the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks or the surprising Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat.
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