INDIANAPOLIS — Bernard King has seen his playoff scoring record go down lately, and he’s glad it happened because of Jalen Brunson.
“Records are meant to be broken,” the Hall of Famer and Knicks legend told ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “But for a player like Brunson to break those kinds of records and show the leadership that he provides and understand the game and have people see how much he loves the game. I love watching him play, so I’m glad he actually broke those records.”
Brunson scored 47 points in the first round against the Sixers, setting a Knicks single-game playoff record. It was the first of four consecutive games in which the point guard scored 40 or more points.
This tied King’s previous record of scoring at least 40 points in four consecutive playoff games, set in 1984 when the All-Star forward dominated Isaiah Thomas’s Pistons.
Brunson became the first player in NBA history to record at least 40 points and five assists in four consecutive playoff games.
Wednesday’s win over the Pacers ended his winning streak, mostly because Brunson sat for much of the first half with sore feet.
Still, Brunson dropped 29 points in 32 minutes at MSG with King watching from the front row.
Ahead of Friday’s Game 3 in Indy, the Knicks listed Brunson as “questionable” due to a sore foot.
“It’s great to be able to see it in action in the Garden,” King said. “The beauty of his game is that he’s a scorer. He knows how to score. He’s mastered the art of scoring. And what I always like to say is that he’s effective. If you want to be a great scorer, you need to understand defense.
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“And he understands that very well. So he controls the defender and gets to where he wants to get the basket. And if he’s double-teamed, whether it’s Josh Hart or the open man. Either way, he’ll be able to find an open man. [Donte] Di Vincenzo. And they effectively win the game. ”
Despite the high praise, King wasn’t ready to include Brunson on the Knicks’ all-time list.
He said the city is the most exciting for the Knicks since the Patrick Ewing era.
“I don’t think that story has been told yet,” Dr. King said. “We’re going to have to wait a while, probably another five years, before this story is really told properly.”
Dr. King backed Tom Thibodeau against criticism that he was draining his players.
The Knicks have been plagued by injuries and rely heavily on their starters, with Hart averaging 49 minutes in the last four games.
OG Anunoby is the latest addition to the DNP list after being ruled out of Friday’s Game 3 at Indianapolis due to a hamstring strain.
“Coaches have to coach based on the talent they have,” King said. “And the team that Thisbs has under his tutelage is a team where he knows he has to rely primarily on the starting unit and the big seven above all else. That’s how you win basketball games. And these guys are in great shape. They’re taking care of their bodies, and I don’t see them breaking down after so many minutes.”
