It was fitting that Jaren Branson went through with the clutch in Saturday night’s playoff opener a day before he was selected as one of the three finalists for the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year (also known as the Jerry West Trophy) on Sunday night.
Branson scored 12 of his game-high 34 points at the final 8:27, leading the Knicks to a Game 1 victory that won the Pistons on Saturday night.
During the regular season, Branson averaged 5.6 points leading the league, shooting 51.5% from the clutch field. He only committed 0.3 turnovers per game in such circumstances.
Other finalists are Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and Nicola Jokic of the Nuggets.
The NBA introduced the awards from 2022-23.
De’aaron Fox won it in his first year, and Stephen Curry claimed the honors of last season. 100 media members will vote for the award.
For both teams, Monday’s biggest injury concern is Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart. He deals with knee pain and moved the sub into the middle of the Knicks’ 21-0 run in the fourth quarter of Game 1.
Follow the reports of the Knicks’ post in the NBA playoffs
Pistons’ coach JB Bickerstaff said there were no updates after Sunday’s film session, but Stewart showed he’s dealing with more than knee inflammation.
“There’s a lot going on there,” Bickerstaff said.
Stewart was listed as suspicious in Game 2.
Stewart, a physical frontcourt presence, was the only piston with a positive plus or minus (they outperformed him and the Knicks by 8 points on the court), but he only managed for 19 minutes.
“I think we all felt it [his absence]. He was incredible [Saturday] The night said Bickerstaff. And when he’s not on the floor for us, we all have to bring it. We have to find a way. Because we can’t lean on him and can’t expect it to become him. We have to play with the same ferociousness and the effort he makes. ”
