NBA history features many players who perform well in the regular season but struggle when the pressure mounts in the playoffs. It`s clear that Jalen Brunson does not fit this description.
You`ve likely seen the New York Knicks point guard deliver clutch shot after clutch shot this postseason, including a memorable game-winner to eliminate the Detroit Pistons in the first round. The statistics overwhelmingly support what your eyes are telling you. By scoring nine points in the fourth quarter of the Knicks` 91-90 comeback win against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Brunson became the first player in the NBA`s play-by-play era (since 1997) to accumulate at least 83 fourth-quarter points through the first eight games of *two* different playoff runs (accomplishing this in both 2024 and 2023).
Only two other players have achieved this feat even once: Stephen Curry in 2023 and Kobe Bryant in 2008.
Brunson`s impact has been particularly devastating in New York`s two stunning comeback victories to open their second-round series against Boston. In the final five minutes of the fourth quarter across both games combined, he remarkably outscored the entire Celtics team 17-13. In the last two minutes of Game 2, he accounted for all six of the Knicks` points, including the critical go-ahead free throws with just 13 seconds remaining.
“It`s a focus that I need to have at that moment. Can`t really worry about what happened previously in the game. It`s all about just focusing, having a clear mind, just trying to win the game. That`s just my mindset, and I wouldn`t be that way without my teammates.”
The All-NBA guard is the main force behind the Knicks` exceptional performance in clutch situations this postseason (defined as games within five points with five minutes left). They boast an impressive +21 net rating in these moments, winning five of their seven qualifying games. Brunson leads the league in clutch scoring this postseason (for players with at least three games played), and the Knicks have a league-best +31 net rating when he is on the court in crunch time.
This level of performance shouldn`t surprise anyone who followed Brunson throughout the regular season. He was, in fact, named the Clutch Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season after leading the league in clutch scoring.
While the Knicks surely hope future games aren`t quite as tense as the thrilling finishes against the Celtics, they must feel incredibly confident having an elite closer like Brunson, perhaps as confident as any team in recent NBA history.
“That`s Jalen. Doesn`t matter what`s going on in the game, he`s gonna be at his best when his best is needed.”
Jasper Hawthorne