Jalen

Brunson

Brunson put together a complete game on Wednesday, posting series-highs in points, field-goal percentage, and assists, while totaling his fewest turnovers. He got going with a 15-point second quarter, which he carried over into a productive 17-point second half. But even without looking at the numbers, he came up big for the Knicks throughout the fourth quarter, especially late, as he made multiple big baskets to keep New York within striking distance before OG Anunoby’s game-winning shot. Brunson has now scored 30 or more points in three of the four games — he’ll have a chance for a fourth on Saturday.

Anunoby was stellar again, following a series-best 28-point performance with 33 points and a game-winning shot. The go-ahead basket came in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter when the Knicks trailed the Spurs 105-106. Jalen Brunson missed a deep three-pointer, which Anunoby tracked down and tipped in with 1.2 seconds remaining. Before the tip-in, the one-time NBA champion had an efficient 31 points, largely due to his seven threes. After trailing by as many as 29 points and completing the comeback, New York will have a chance to end the series and win a championship on Saturday.

Brunson had his best offensive performance of the series, but that added success didn’t result in the Knicks getting another win. It was their first loss since Game 3 against the Hawks in the first round, making it one of the longest winning streaks in postseason history. Even though the streak is over, the Knicks still lead the series 2-1 and hold homecourt advantage in the series. Brunson was still able to make more magical plays at the end of the game, and they’ll need that to continue in Game 4 on Thursday if they want to get their first home win in the NBA Finals since 1999.

Brunson wasn’t particularly efficient with 20 points on 25 attempts, but he came through at the end of the game in typical Brunson-like fashion. With the Knicks trailing by two with less than a minute left in regulation, Brunson stopped in the lane to give himself enough space to hit a fadeaway jumper and tied the game. His made free throw with 10 second left was the difference in the Knicks’ 13th consecutive playoff win as they became the second team in history to accomplish that feat. New York will head home with a 2-0 series lead heading into Game 3 on Monday, where they’ll look to continue what’s been a dominant postseason run.

Brunson had a rough first three quarters of Wednesday’s game, having to overcome multiple lower-body ailments en route to producing 17 points on just 7-of-22 shooting. But he came alive in the fourth quarter and amassed 13 massive points while connecting on several big shots down the stretch to lead New York to a Game 1 win. Despite inefficient shooting, Brunson never stopped attacking. As a result, he’ll have a chance to help his team take a 2-0 series lead on Friday.

Brunson had 15 points, five assists and was +16 in 31 minutes in Game 4 on Monday. The 29-year-old point guard led the Knicks to their first NBA Finals in 27 years. Brunson had 38 points in Game 1, 19 points and 14 assists in Game 2 and 30 points in Game 3. The Knicks completed their second series sweep in a row and just the fourth sweep in a seven-game series in franchise history. Over the weekend, Brunson was named to the All-NBA second team.

Coming off of what he described as the best season of his NBA career, Brown just missed out on first-team All-NBA honors. The Celtics’ star wing was a first-team selection on 44 of 100 ballots, with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham appearing on 60 and finishing with 414 total points to Brown’s 384. Leonard, Mitchell, Durant and Brunson round out the All-NBA second team.

Winners of 10 consecutive games, the Knicks are now one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. Brunson, who was limited to more of a setup role in Game 2, led the way in Game 3 with a game-high 30 points. He didn’t make a three-pointer, but that didn’t matter much, with the Knicks’ point guard attempting 12 free throws and making 10. No matter who the Cavaliers have assigned to defend Brunson, he’s managed to impact the action in all three games in some way. He’ll look to do the same in Game 4 on Monday, with the Knicks going for a second consecutive sweep.

After going off for 38 points in a wild series-opening victory, Brunson was more playmaker than scorer in Game 2. The Knicks’ point guard recorded a playoff career-high 14 assists while committing three turnovers, compensating for a 1-of-7 night from beyond the arc. Regardless of Cleveland’s defensive approach, Brunson has been able to do what he wants, whether that’s score or assist. He and the Knicks will look to tighten their grip on the series with a win in Game 3 on Saturday.

Despite having 21 points at the end of the third quarter, Brunson had not performed at a high level overall— he’s missed the mark on each of his three-point attempts, was 7-of-18 from the field, and his team trailed by 14 going into the final frame. Yet, he hit a switch in the fourth quarter as the Knicks trailed by as many as 22 points. The all-star guard electrified MSG with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the final period to force overtime, where he then landed another couple of points to finish on the verge of 40. The Knicks finished the game on a 44-11 run and will take a 1-0 series lead.