Why the Knicks refuse to lose, and why Jalen Brunson is the reason

No one knows yet if an NBA Cup hangover really exists. The sample size is still small. But the Lakers in 2023 and the Bucks in 2024 both struggled to regain their regular-season rhythm after lifting the trophy in Las Vegas. Now it is the Knicks, the third champions of the league’s new in-season tournament, who are putting that theory to the test.

Part of the issue may simply be scheduling. The league has to perform calendar gymnastics to make up for the days lost during the Cup’s knockout stage. Kings coach Mike Brown recently summed it up perfectly. “It feels like winning the Cup actually penalizes you when you look at the schedule,” he said. That reality hit New York immediately, with a back-to-back just 48 hours after the final. The first stop was Indiana, where the Pacers were waiting after four full days off.

Knicks-Pacers rematch with very different stakes

It was the first meeting between the teams since last season’s Eastern Conference finals, but the context could not be more different. The Knicks are fully all-in on a championship run. The Pacers are in a holding pattern, forced into a reset after Tyrese Haliburton suffered a devastating Achilles injury in Game 7 of the Finals.

Indiana’s situation only worsened on game night. The Pacers were already without Haliburton, and also missed Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin and Ben Sheppard. The Knicks were shorthanded too, sitting Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, Miles McBride and Landry Shamet.

For long stretches, it looked like the Cup hangover narrative would write itself. Indiana jumped out to a 28-12 lead, then found breathing room again in the third quarter at 83-68. Even in the fourth, the Pacers led 109-102.

But this Knicks team keeps finding ways to survive.

Brunson delivers for New York, again

Once more, New York rallied. Once more, it came down to Jalen Brunson. With five seconds left, Brunson buried a 3-pointer to put the Knicks ahead 114-113. Indiana never recovered. Rick Carlisle’s final play unraveled when Pascal Siakam slipped, and OG Anunoby pounced, stealing the ball to secure another win for a Knicks team that simply refuses to accept losing.

New York improved to 19-7, now a game and a half behind Detroit, firmly trending upward and holding a three-game cushion over the third-place team in the Eastern Conference. Indiana fell to 6-21, its third straight loss since Carlisle earned his 999th career win. Victory No. 1,000 remains elusive. When it comes, Carlisle will become the 11th coach in NBA history to reach that mark, and the first since Doc Rivers in 2021.

Brunson finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Anunoby, in outstanding form, added 16 points and six boards, while Mikal Bridges chipped in 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists. All three grew into the game and reinforced a clear cultural message. There are no days off. No losses are excusable.

Depth, defense and a growing concern

That mindset held even with Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti starting. The bench mattered again. Jordan Clarkson provided instant offense with 18 points, hitting 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Rookie Tyler Kolek continued his rise, filling the box score with 16 points, six rebounds and 11 assists, plus-13 in 26 minutes while doing all the little things that swing games.

With the frontcourt rotation stretched thin, Brown turned to Trey Jamison, the former Laker, who responded with a high-effort defensive performance in his 18 minutes. That contrasted sharply with the night endured by Guerschon Yabusele, who played just 11 minutes despite the absences of Towns and Robinson.

Yabusele struggled badly, finishing minus-17 with three points on 1-for-5 shooting and two turnovers. ESPN broadcaster Mike Breen captured the moment bluntly during the broadcast. “He’s so desperate to do well that every turnover, every missed shot, every defensive mistake gets magnified.”

Before the game, Brown had acknowledged that injuries would create an opening for the power forward, but his message came with a warning. “He’ll get his opportunity, but he has to play hard, like the rest of the team,” Brown said. “Put your body on people, rebound, defend, sprint back in transition. The normal things I expect from everyone.”

Instead, it was another missed chance for Yabusele, who recently admitted to French media that his time in New York has been far from smooth. For the Knicks, though, the story was familiar. Short-handed, tested late, and still standing, with Brunson once again leading the way.

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