Knicks returning to Miami, where Game 4 locker room altercation occurred, in better shape thanks to Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson literally left it all on the floor Wednesday night.
He scored 38 points in 48 minutes to help lift New York to a season-extending win over the Heat.
“What can you say about the guy? He’s just incredible,” Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson after the Knicks’ Game 5 win. “All-around player. Great leader. Great toughness. Mental toughness. Physical toughness. Ability to think on his feet. Ability to lead. Ability to connect with people, bring the best out of people. That’s what makes him special.”
Brunson’s special performance in Game 5 included nine rebounds and seven assists while being on the floor for every second of the win. He became the first player in Knicks history to score 38+ points, grab nine or more rebounds, and hand out seven or more assists in a playoff game.
“That’s JB, that’s what he’s been doing all year, ultimately at the core of who he is,” Julius Randle said of Brunson. “He’s a competitor. He wants to win. He left it all out there tonight. He carried us in a big way.”
The Knicks have a large fan base. It’s almost impossible to find something that all fans agree on. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a Knick fan who doesn’t think the club hit a home run with the Brunson signing.
“He just makes the right play every time,” Thibodeau said.
And he helped the Knicks live to fight another night. They will face the Heat in Game 6 on Friday night in Miami. Even if they lose on Friday, you will still be able to say this about the Knicks: for the first time in at least two decades, the Knicks have stability at the point guard position.
That stability has helped them navigate a 10-13 start to the season. And it’s helped them reach Game 6 in the second round of the playoffs for just the second time this century.
The Knicks now head to Miami in great shape. Much better than when they left South Florida after Game 4.
After the Game 4 loss on Monday, Knick players and coaches were in a heated verbal confrontation in the visitor’s locker room, SNY has learned. It involved airing frustrations after a loss that put their season on life support.
But the verbal spat didn’t seem to impact the team Wednesday night. They beat a tough Miami team to extend their season for at least one more game. That was Brunson’s focus shortly after Game 5.
“Nothing really to celebrate,” he said after the win. “We obviously won, get to see another day. This is great, but we got to go get one down there.”
