Historically, the best of the NBA have proven their place in the basketball hierarchy with signature playoff moments. But two games into the postseason, and the New York Knicks are still waiting on Jalen Brunson‘s against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Over the first two games, the All-Star point guard connected on just 16-of-55 field goals, good for 29-percent shooting.
Free throw makes have helped his scoring average to 23 points per game, but Brunson has not been 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 is 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.”
Thanks to stellar play from his supporting cast, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart among them, the Knicks’ are up 2-0 in the series.
But headed into the hostile environment that is the 76ers’ home court for Games 3 and 4, that lead could very well be a tie when they head back to New York for Game 5.
It won’t take Brunson recalibrating to win the series, as the Knicks’ have proven in Games 1 and 2. But if they’re to close it out on the road, it might very well take him returning to form.
Brunson Responds to Embiid
Following the Game Two loss, Joel Embiid‘s comments with reporters took headlines for their boldness and brazenness.
“We should be 2 and 0,” Embiid told The Athletic on April 22. “So, we’re good. We’re gonna win this series. We’re gonna win this. We know what we’ve got to fix. We did a better job today. So, we’re gonna fix it. But we’re the better team. And we’re gonna keep fighting.”
Brunson and the rest of the Knicks team are aware of the reigning MVP’s comments.
The point guard acknowledged them when talking with reporters on April 23.
Characteristically, he denied using the comments as bait for motivation.
“We see it,” Brunson told SNY. “But there’s nothing we can really do. It’s the playoffs. If you need any more ammunition now, then I don’t know if you’re in the right business.”
The return of De’Anthony Melton bodes well for Philadelphia.
He averaged 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.6 steals in 36 appearances with the 76ers this season.
According to Cleaning the Glass, in 2,114 possessions with the defensive-minded guard on the floor, the 76ers have outscored opponents by 10.3 points per 100 possessions, which ranks in the 93rd percentile.
But statistically, the odds lean heavily in New York’s favor, regardless of who’s in and who’s out on either side.
Knicks Lead is Historically Safe
According to Land of Basketball, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a seven-game series go on to win it 92.7% of the time. The odds are even higher in the first round, at 93.4%.
The last team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in a seven-game series was the 2022-2023 Golden State Warriors, who beat the Sacramento Kings in the first round.
That should give Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks some confidence as they take this series on the road to the Wells Fargo Center.
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