Jalen Brunson will finally play his first game in his former home arena on Thursday night, returning to Dallas for the first time since the Knicks suffered a historic collapse without him just a year ago.
Brunson, who left the Mavericks in the summer of 2022 and signed a four-year contract with the Knicks as a free agent, missed his only visit to the Knicks in late December last season because of a hip injury.
The Knicks also lost RJ Barrett in the opening minutes of that game and trailed by nine points with 33 seconds left in regulation, but Luka Doncic, in his only appearance against American, scored a 60-point triple-double in overtime. lost due to their performance. aviation center.
Brunson was on the bench that night and received a rousing ovation during his video tribute in the first half, but he will be on the court Thursday night against the Mavericks without Doncic, with the Knicks' fifth straight win at stake. (sprained his ankle).
“That place meant a lot to me, it meant a lot to me,” Brunson said after Tuesday's home win against the Trail Blazers. “For the first four years, [in the NBA]They introduced me to the league, gave me opportunities and helped me grow. The organization and the people there mean so much to me. ”
Of course, there was a lot of back-and-forth between the two teams in the second half of last season, with the Mavericks struggling in the game and having to acquire a top-10 protected first-round pick in the 2019 trade for Kristaps Porzingis. It hindered us and we missed the playoffs. Transferred to the Knicks.
Former Mavs owner Mark Cuban also made headlines last April when he blamed Brunson's parents, including Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, for the point guard's defection to the Knicks as a free agent the previous summer. Ta.
“It went south when Rick took over, when his parents took over, or when his parents took over,” Cuban said.
The “Shark Tank” star said the Mavericks are not allowed to negotiate with Brunson and his representatives until the free agency period begins on June 30, and the former Villanova star is worth $104 million. He added that he has signed a four-year contract.
“I didn't know what the bid was,” Cuban said. “They never gave us the number. If I knew the number now, I would have paid the money right away, but he wouldn't have come anyway. It's possible it's about the money. There’s no sex at all.”
Brunson, 27, returns to Dallas with a strong case to be named his first All-Star this year after missing out on honors in his first season with the Knicks. Currently the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, he averaged points (25.6 per game), assists (6.4) and 3-point shooting percentage (42.6) throughout the Knicks' 22-15 start. He is setting a career high.
Brunson on Tuesday night declined to answer questions about last year's come-from-behind loss to Dallas, in which former backcourt mate Doncic became the first NBA player to record a triple-double with 60 points and 20 rebounds. That included an intentionally missed free throw by Doncic with one second left in regulation and seven more points in overtime, as well as a game-winning putback.
According to ESPN Stats and Info, NBA teams have gone 0-13,884 over the past 20 seasons, losing by at least nine points and allowing 35 or fewer points in regulation.
More than a year later, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is still lamenting the blown officiating call in that loss.
“We had everybody out in that game…basically a free-throw rebound at the end of the game,” Thibodeau said after Tuesday's game. “And I think there were some unfair calls that went against us. I remember it vividly.”
