The New York Knicks have been an NBA team since the day the NBA was created. The franchise dates back to 1946, created as one of founding members of the precursor Basketball Association of America, which would later become the National Basketball Association after a merger with the rival National Basketball League in 1949.
In their 78 seasons of history, Basketball Reference lists 552 players as having played for the Knicks franchise in that time. And until yesterday, the great Patrick Ewing – who played 135 playoff games in his 15 seasons as a Knick between 1985 and 2000 – led all 552 of them in playoff single-game scoring.
Not any longer, though.
Brunson Did What He Does Best
In the second game of the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals series against the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks’ All-Star point guard, Jalen Brunson, did what he does best. The lefty scored 36 points in 39 minutes of action, shooting 13-27 from the field, to go along with 11 assists in the contest.
In doing so, Brunson scored 30+ points in a playoff game for the eighteenth time as a member of the Knicks. His 43 points in Game One of the series had moved him into a tie with Ewing, yet Brunson is now in a clear lead. With the possible exception of that one week of Jeremy Lin, Brunson is the best player that the Knicks have had since Ewing, more than two and a half decades ago, and it is fitting that it is he who takes his scoring record.
At age 28, there is plenty of time for him to extend it out. However, for all of Brunson’s individual excellence, his scoring came in yet another Knicks loss.
The Knicks dropped Game Two despite Brunson’s performance, and are now 2-0 in the series, with both losses coming at home. The second loss was not quite as painful in how it happened as the record-setting late-game implosion of Game One, yet to lose another close contest to their nemesis Pacers – who also toppled the Knicks in seven games in the Conference Semi-Finals last year – is tough to swallow.
Too Little, Almost Too Late
The storied Knicks, the founder franchise, is trying to make its first NBA Finals appearance in 26 years, only to fumble the bag at home. For all his scoring accolades, then, Brunson and the Knicks are fast running out of time.
It is hard to point the finger at Brunson, who is leading from the front. In his 14 playoff games this postseason, Brunson is averaging 30.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 39.1 minutes per contest, shooting 45.6% from the floor, 35.8% from deep and 83.2% from the free throw line. There have been moments of excessive “hero ball”, perhaps, where Brunson could have trusted his fellow Knicks more and not taken on so much offensive responsibility. But as the team’s halfcourt dynamo, much of the responsibility falls on him. Overaggressiveness is better than cowardice.
Brunson is however going up against Tyrese Haliburton, who is playing like an MVP. Along with the Game One heroics of Aaron Nesmith, plus their improved defence to go with the powerful team offence, the Pacers have gone to the place they are supposed to fear, and come away unscathed. The Knicks, meanwhile, are searching for answers, ones that go beyond Brunson’s scoring.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jalen Brunson Breaks 80-Year-Old Knicks Record appeared first on Heavy Sports.