SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson Shines Despite Challenges
Bad legs? Poor shooting? No big deal. Jalen Brunson is a powerhouse.
Honestly, I should’ve seen it coming. Anyone who followed the Knicks this postseason must have anticipated this performance.
On Wednesday night, they took down the Spurs 105-95, coming back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to secure their place in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The familiar plot surfaced mid-fourth quarter. With just over seven minutes left, the score was tied at 86. That’s when Brunson returned to the court.
The Knicks have been following a similar playbook all along.
Brunson wasted no time, driving to the basket for a layup and putting the Knicks back in the lead. After that, Josh Hart snagged a rebound, sprinted down the court, and assisted Brunson, who took the foul and hit two free throws for a four-point cushion. Hart then stole the ball, pushing for another fast break and finding Brunson again for another score.
As the Knicks went ahead, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson called a timeout, and for the first time, I could hear the crowd chanting “Let’s Go Knicks!” in the Frostbank Center.
Came back from the timeout—another score from Brunson, contributing to an 8-0 run. It felt destined to happen.
But the Spurs quickly retaliated, unleashing a 9-0 run of their own, with Victor Wembanyama netting seven points and reclaiming the lead.
No worries, though. Brunson then hit a three-pointer, followed by another one to regain the Knicks’ edge. After a missed shot from De’Aaron Fox, Bridges got fouled, missing two free throws. Wembanyama’s misstep opened the door for Brunson to execute a stunning fallaway jumper, giving the Knicks a six-point lead. At that moment, I thought, this could be it.
The Knicks shut down the Spurs 11-0, taking control in the fourth quarter. Brunson contributed 13 points alone in that period.
Interestingly, he hurt his right foot in the first quarter and briefly exited to the locker room, but managed to return with over eight minutes left before halftime.
Initially, his shooting was rough—he made just 7 of 22 attempts and was 1 of 8 from beyond the arc in the first three quarters. But, as he always does, he found a way to turn it around by the end.
Things looked dim when the Knicks started the third quarter at 1-of-9 from the field, only scoring two points in the first five minutes. Somehow, they only faced a 13-point gap.
Wembanyama seemed to struggle after leaving the game, limping as he headed to the bench. The Knicks quickly capitalized on his absence, leading 11-4 in the interim. They continued to rally back, leveling the score by the end of the fourth. Karl-Anthony Towns led the charge with 10 points in that quarter, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Landry Shamet came off the bench to add 13 points, while OG Anunoby made his return in the fourth, contributing 12 points, wrapping up with 17.
