Forgive Jalen Brunson for being tired of making excuses for the Knicks.
Sure, the Knicks held a 2-0 lead against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals before squandering it and losing at home in Game 7. But what were the Knicks to do when they were without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Bojan Bogdanovic and OG Anunoby for most of the series and then lost Josh Hart in Game 6 after suffering an injury?
Brunson, who was placed on injured reserve after breaking his left hand in Game 7, doesn’t want to let himself get away with it.
“What I hated the most was, even if we were playing well and we were winning and we were leading 2-0, 3-2, every time we lost, everybody was like, ‘Oh, they’re tired or they’re injured,'” Brunson said on Friday’s show. Roommate Show With co-host and teammate Hart: “Honestly, that was kind of annoying.
“I mean, yes, we’re not at full roster, but I don’t want to take advantage of that. I don’t want the narrative to be, ‘Oh, they’re hurt, so let’s forgive them.’ No, no. We had a chance to win that series and we didn’t do it. We had a chance to go up 3-0 and we didn’t do it.”
It’s no wonder Brunson is the most popular athlete in New York, a city where few excuses are tolerated.
The play that bothers Brunson is the 31-foot 3-pointer Andrew Nembard tried to tie the game late in Game 3, when the Knicks should have had the series under control.
“I hate it when people say sometimes we got hurt or injuries happen,” Brunson said. “Yes, injuries are part of the game, but that’s not why we lost. We had chances to win. We were injured and we still won. I hate that story. I hate that story.”
Hart rolled his eyes, trying to get Brunson to see the light.
“It was like, ‘He was hurt and he was winning,'” Hart said. “I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I guess.’
They ultimately agreed on this point: “Despite the injuries, we had a chance to win.”
Maybe next year.
