In Rick Carlisle’s final game as Mavericks head coach in 2021, Jalen Brunson played 10 minutes off the bench in Game 7 of the playoffs’ opener loss to the Clippers.
Brunson claimed Saturday that he doesn’t need more motivation as the Knicks prepare for Game 1 against Carlisle and the Pacers at the Garden on Monday, but ESPN reporter Tim McMahon, who covered Brunson in Dallas, said: He said this. Speaking on the Hoop Collective podcast“I can assure you of this. [Brunson] I remember being basically on the bench for that series.”
The Knicks’ emerging superstar didn’t bite when asked Saturday about a scenario involving Carlisle, who led the Pacers to a 47-35 record in the regular season and sent the Bucks to a first-round exit.
“Honestly, like I said last time, we’re in the playoffs right now and there’s no more motivation than that,” Brunson said after practice in Tarrytown. “That’s the reality. The past is the past. Rick got me into the league and helped me become a player. [I am today] And helped me grow from day one.
“Coaches have to make decisions that better suit the team. Whatever happened, happened, and we’re moving forward from there.”
Brunson’s role expanded with the Mavericks the following season under manager Jason Kidd, and he averaged 34.9 minutes in 18 postseason games in 2022 before signing with the Knicks as a free agent that summer.
The former Villanova star finished fourth in the NBA in scoring with 28.7 points per game in the regular season in his second season in New York, and improved that number to an NBA-high 35.5 points per game in the Knicks’ six-game win over the Sixers. He raised it to a point. first round.
This is the second consecutive year since Brunson’s arrival that the Knicks have advanced to the postseason, and the first time since winning nine consecutive first-round series from 1992 to 2000.
“Jalen Brunson is a guy you can’t bet on,” Carlisle told reporters in Indiana on Saturday. “You shouldn’t bet on that guy. I don’t know if anyone saw this coming and what he’s accomplished in two years, but I know him well and know that he If you know the character, you won’t be surprised. You’re not shocked.”
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Carlisle added that he visited Brunson at Villanova in 2018 before Brunson was drafted in the second round by the Mavs and asked multiple program officials who the greatest player in school history was.
“At the end of the day, everyone said the same thing, Jalen Brunson,” Carlisle said. “I mean, we had a program that won three national championships, and he played a big role in two of them. He’s a very special person, and I think it was three years, but it was great to work with him in Dallas. was wonderful.
“Just a professional, great personality, great basketball, and great respect and love for the game. I can’t say enough great things about him and what he accomplished. What a very skilled player he is. He obviously has an indomitable will to accomplish things that naysayers think he can’t do. He’s just one of those types of guys. I respect what he’s doing. Have to.”
Brunson, who will face All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton in this series, has played in three games against the Pacers this season, scoring 35.7 points per game.
“The last two times we played him, he was scoring 40 points in one game and 39 points in the other. He leads the playoffs in scoring average,” Carlisle said. . “It’s clear that he established a very high level during the season and maintained or exceeded it in the postseason, which is difficult for him to do.”
