The New York Knicks will be riding the high of winning an NBA championship for a long time, thanks in part due to the historic play and leadership from star guard Jalen Brunson.
He may not be very tall, but no one was bigger in the moments that mattered most during this postseason. In fact, there may be no one in league history that’s replicated what Brunson just pulled off.
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During Saturday’s Game 5, his clutch gene was once again on display when he put up 15 points in the final frame.
None of them were as impressive as this tough layup he made after going right at Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
When the dust settled in San Antonio Saturday night, Brunson had finished with a franchise Finals record 45 points while helping the Knicks land on top and end a 53-year championship drought,
It’s hard to put into words just how good he played in virtually every single fourth quarter throughout these playoffs. So much so that there’s a real argument that he just had the greatest clutch postseason run in NBA history.
Brunson played in 15 fourth quarters in this postseason and his scoring numbers were terrific. He averaged an impressive 9.9 fourth-quarter points, but his efficiency was mind-blowing.
He shot a blistering 56.2% from the floor, 52.6% from three and 90.5% from the free throw line across the 15 fourth quarters. The only player in the 21st century to have similar fourth-quarter scoring numbers was Kobe Bryant in 2008.
Prior to that, and it goes back to when Michael Jordan went on a dominant run with the Chicago Bulls, although clutch stats weren’t recorded by the NBA until 1997.
Time and time again over the last six weeks, Brunson rallied the troops after the Knicks found themselves facing a deficit.
In doing so, he won an NBA championship and established a strong argument as the greatest Knick who ever lived.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
