Channeling his inner Kobe Bryant, Jalen Brunson played down the hype of taking a 3-1 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers after the New York Knicks won Game 4.
He told reporters postgame that his focus continues to be on the series at hand, an ongoing one, regardless of the April 28 win.
“We’re not done yet,” Brunson told SNY after Game 4. “Gotta find a way to win another.”
It’s an incredible display of humility for the point guard, who passed Bernard King with the most playoff points in franchise history.
Brunson scored 47 points on 53-percent shooting in the Game 4 victory for New York.
On passing King for the most points in a Knicks playoff game, Brunson told reporters he’ll take time to reflect after his career’s over.
“I’ll look back when I retire, seriously this is great right now, helped us get a win,” Brunson told reporters. “But it’s not going to do anything for us moving forward.”
It’s the third career 40-point playoff game for the All-Star, and a third Knicks win in a series that requires four to move on.
Fortunately for fans of the orange and blue, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks’ lead is historically insurmountable.
3-1 Leads are Among the Safest in Sports
According to Land of Basketball, of the 281 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA playoffs, only 13 have given it up and lost the series.
The Denver Nuggets are the last team to do so in the first round, when they came back to win their series over the Utah Jazz.
Land of Basketball says 168 of those series finished in 5 games, 78 finished in 6 games, and just 22 finished went to 7.
Game 5 will take place on New York’s home floor at Madison Square Garden, where they boasted a 27-14 record in the regular season, according to Basketball Reference, and a 2-0 record in the series against the 76ers.
And with Jalen Brunson playing like he is, you’d be hard pressed to find an even cautiously optimistic 76ers fan ahead of Game 5.
His adjustment to the Philadelphia defense has been a complete 180-degree turn.
Brunson Keeps His Promise to Fans
Between Games 1 and 2 against the 76ers, Brunson connected on just 16-of-55 field goals, good for 29-percent shooting.
Free throw makes helped his scoring average to 23 points per game, but the All-Star wasn’t playing like the player that terrorized the league all season. Philadelphia’s defense has stifled New York’s one-man offense.
When asked about adjusting to the 76ers’ coverage ahead of Game 3, Brunson told Ian Begley of SNY that the answer was a simple one.
“The easy answer is I need to adjust and…be more poised; understand what they’re doing & flat-out be better,” Brunson told SNY on April 23. “There’s no gimmicks to it. It’s just, ‘Jalen you need to be better.’ It’s that plain & simple.”
To say he’s rebounded since is an understatement. In Games 3 and 4, Brunson hit 31-of-61 shots, for a skyrocketed 51-percent average.
Promises made, promises kept for the New York Knicks point guard.
But if they’re to close out the series at home in Game 5, it will take Jalen Brunson once again donning his superstar cape and counteracting a sweltering Philadelphia 76ers defense.
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