Jalen Brunson has found his footing.
After missing Game 4 due to a lingering leg injury, Brunson appeared in Game 5 against the Knicks, recording 44 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and shooting 51 percent from the field, leading to a loss to the Pacers. They led to a 121-91 victory.
Brunson’s performance on Tuesday made him the first player to score 40 points or more in five playoff games since LeBron James in 2018, and the second-most 40-point games in one postseason in Knicks playoff history. was recorded.
He currently trails Bernard King, who had six games of 40 or more in the 1984 postseason.
This was Brunson’s second 40-plus point game in the series against the Pacers, after scoring 43 points in Game 1.
Brunson left Game 2 with a foot injury and gave the Knicks a scare, but he was an empty shell and returned after the night, only to have little action in the next game.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Brunson averaged 2 inches shorter jump on his shots in Games 2 and 3 than in the regular season.
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Other than Brunson’s brutal performance in Game 4 in which he didn’t take a jump shot and regularly missed wide-open 3-pointers, he’s been a force for the Knicks despite his lingering injury.
The star said he was “okay” heading into Games 2 and 3, scoring 29 and 26 points, respectively.
The Knicks lead 3-2 in the second round of the playoff series, thanks in large part to Brunson’s elite-level play.
