This was Jalen Brunson’s time. Donte DiVincenzo proves that.
The two New York Knicks sat down with reporters following Brunson’s Game 1 blowout against the Indiana Pacers. These days, Brunson’s scoring streak is as rare as Tom Thibodeau’s broken artery.
Brunson has now scored 40 points in four straight playoff games. The only players in league history to accomplish the same feat are Michael Jordan (four) and Bernard King (four), who had Jerry West’s six-game hitting streak.
As a reporter lists Brunson’s impressive company, DiVincenzo takes one look and interrupts.
“Michael Jordan,” he said excitedly as he turned to Brunson, a wide grin crossing his cheeks.
Brunson DiVincenzo looked at his friend as if the 0 out of 20 dude was making fun of him.
“If you know my friends,” Brunson said the next day, “you should know they’re all a ——-.” …Usually they are all sarcastic and I try to stop him before he continues.
Best friends only show kindness behind each other’s backs. And behind Brunson is DiVincenzo’s second, more interesting shrine of achievements.
Brunson is the first player in NBA history with 40 points and five assists in four straight playoff games. He is the second man, behind only West, to have five consecutive 39-plus games.
He leads the NBA in assists with 8.6, averaging 36.6 points in the postseason. The only player to achieve those numbers for the postseason is Russell Westbrook, who did so in 2016-17 with extremely efficient shooting and just five games, four of which the team lost.
“I’m very proud to know what kind of person he is,” DiVincenzo said of Brunson. “He does not accept praise and praise and all that. He doesn’t take it well. He is always trying to get better. He always knew there would be more doubters, more room for improvement. That’s the beauty of being human.
Trailing the Knicks 1-0 in the second round, the Pacers are seeing the beauty of basketball.
Indiana threw a variety of defenders at Brunson in Game 1 of a 121-117 win over New York. The tall, physical Aaron Nesmith commanded the start. Andrew Nemhard, a strong nose, later took over. Point guard TJ McConnell, who Josh Hart affectionately called a “creepy little s—” earlier this week, did Brunson, too.
Neither led to much success.
Brunson’s 43 points came on 14-26 shooting. He missed all 14 free throws. The Pacers were one of the worst offensive offenders during the regular season. He showed.
These clicks are the types of shots you can expect from Brunson in this series. Indiana defenders stick with perimeter shooters. He blocks 3-point attempts, which the Pacers rarely give up. And he gets drives into center Myles Turner, one of the league’s premier rim protectors. But it leaves the middle open.
No one allowed more shots in the paint during the regular season than Indiana did. The trend continued into Game 1, including Brunson’s. 15 of his shots were in the paint, most of them in floater range where Brunson could feed, neutralizing Turner’s shot blocking.
Brunson may have been hot as the Knicks took down the Philadelphia 76ers in six games, but it wasn’t because Philly gave him a center.
The six surrounded him with tall defenders, many of whom fell upon him whenever he approached the wheel. He finished the game with 39 points, 47 in Game 4, 40 in Game 5 and 41 in Game 6.
Few people have reached those numbers — not that Brunson boasts more about himself than his friends can see on his face.
“I understand what’s going on, so it’s definitely great, and above all it makes it better to know that he’s going to win, but really, no matter what the situation is, whether it’s positive or negative, I’ve got to come. Come back and be better,” Brunson said. “The last series, the first two games, I was terrible, and I have to be better, so I have to put that in the back of my mind. This is the same thing.
The Pacers quickly tackled Brunson, but he quickly kicked the ball away. They put full-court pressure on him, especially since Indiana did the same thing against the Milwaukee Bucks in Round 1. The tactic is an attempt to wear down Brunson while overwhelming the Knicks’ offense. If it takes New York a few more seconds to get into the opening act, it won’t have a chance to score.
However, Brunson’s pick of the Packers in Game 1 wasn’t despite the team’s success.
The Knicks shot 53.7 percent from the field and 11 of 23 from 3. They gave up 121 points on 98 possessions, a career high.
“The great thing is always about winning and his teammates and that’s the most important thing to him,” Thibodeau said. “And I like his mindset because his mindset is not satisfied.”
And now, he’s appearing on lists with Michael Jordan — even if he’s not getting credit for his success and worries his friends are using it as pure gas fuel.
“He knows what he’s doing, but he doesn’t look at it. He’s trying to get better every day,” DiVincenzo said. “Not being him and looking at him from the outside, I love him. I sure as hell love him. I respect him every day of the week. He’s who he is as a person, not just a basketball player.
(Top photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)