Jalen Brunson could join elite list with fifth 40 point game
The New York Knicks are leading their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Indiana Pacers 1-0 thanks to another historic night by Jalen Brunson.
The Jalen Brunson record tour continues. The New York Knick has been sensational this postseason, and in just six games has put his name on multiple historic lists with a handful of NBA legends. Tonight he has a chance to do something that not even the GOAT, Michael Jordan did.
Knicks have a star for the long run
The New York Knicks are up 1-0 on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinal thanks to the spectacular play of Jalen Brunson. He had 43 in the Knicks Game 1 win on Monday night, 21 of which came in the final quarter from Madison Square Garden.
That wasn’t the first time that Brunson dazzled in this playoff run. The former Dallas Maverick led his team in their first round win over the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 35.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 9 assists in the 4-1 series win.
In that series he made history, becoming the second player ever to score 35 points and dish 10 assists in three games of a single playoff series. Oscar Robertson was the only one to ever, and that happened about a half century ago.
His 40 point performance in Game 1 put him in rarified air. In the Knicks 121-117 win over the Pacers, Brunson put up 43 points to secure a fourth straight 40 point game in the playoffs. To give you an idea of just how impressive that is, there are only three other guys in the history of the NBA to have done that.
In rare air
Michael Jordan scored 40 in four straight games back in 1993, Bernard King did it in the 80s and Jerry West did it over a half century ago. Brunson is having a record setting playoff run, and he is doing it on basketball’s biggest stage. If he scores 40 or more tonight, he is going to top MJ and King, and join West as the only other player to score 40+ in five games in a playoff series .
It seems like he can go out and get 40 whenever he wants. What’s even more impressive, or incredible is that at this point we expect him to score 40. In Game 1, he had 22 going into the final quarter, and everyone was talking about him having an “off” night.
Tonight he and the Knicks have a chance to take a 2-0 series lead, and don’t think that Brunson doesn’t have basketball history and personal history in the back of his mind. His old coach at the Dallas Mavericks, Rick Carlisle, will be on the other sideline tonight. The same Rick Carlisle that brought Brunson off the bench and played him 10 minutes in a Game 7 against the LA Clippers.