Jalen Brunson joins Michael Jordan, other legends on prestigious NBA Playoffs scoring lists

Jalen Brunson has dominated at every stage of his career. He could also start at Stevenson High School in suburban Chicago. At the time, Brunson was pursuing a non-traditional program, achieving three state finals appearances and his 2015 state championship win, and becoming Illinois’ Mr. Basketball.his influence villanova He won two All-American championships, won National Player of the Year in 2018, and had an even better reputation as one of the great college guards of his generation.

Still, Brunson’s game should have worked in the NBA. Only 6’2 tall, he played exclusively below the rim and didn’t have the speed to blow away defenders on the perimeter. He slipped into the second round, spending his first three years as a spark plug off the bench next to Luka Doncic, then resembling a star while Dallas advances to the Western Conference Finals in 2022. It exploded into existence.

The Mavericks didn’t think he deserved the four-year, $104 million contract they offered and let him become a free agent anyway. new york knicks. He quickly became a star and is expected to be named All-NBA later this year.

At some point, we should stop marveling at Branson’s excellence. This is simply the person he has been all his life, someone who has taken his team to the highest stage solely through cunning and tough shot-making. Brunson repeated that in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, delivering his best performance ever in the best series of all time.

After the loss, the New York Knicks advanced to the second round of the playoffs. philadelphia 76ers Instant classic 6 game series. This series will be remembered for the Knicks’ improbable come-from-behind victory in Game 2 and Tyrese Maxey leading the Sixers to an improbable come-from-behind victory in Game 5, but most importantly, Brunson was officially named an NBA star. It will be remembered as the moment he became a superstar. .

Brunson took over late in Game 6 and earned another playoff gem with 41 points and 12 assists. Brunson then had 39 points and 13 assists in Game 3, 47 points and 10 assists in Game 4, and 40 points and 6 assists in Game 5. Only one other player has scored as many points in a playoff series before…Michael Jordan at the absolute peak of his powers.

Another example from MJ is:

Add an assist and you have another legend. Oscar Robertson.

Brunson scored 47 points in Game 4, breaking Bernard King’s Knicks franchise playoff scoring record. He now joins King on the elite list of NBA players who have scored 40 or more points in three consecutive playoff games.

The way Brunson gets his numbers is even more impressive. For a player who has been winning the “old man’s game” since before he got his driver’s license, Brunson has now completely mastered all the tricks of guarding. He’s incredibly good at staying off the dribble, slowly getting into the paint and hitting powerful inside shots from all angles.

Now that Brunson is willing to pull up and make a 3-pointer from 35 feet whenever he wants, there are few safeguards against his offensive onslaught. Game 6 was great.

The Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in the second round. The Pacers play at a ferocious tempo behind their star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, but Brunson will likely set the pace while moving at his own speed.