Jalen Brunson doesn’t care if you happen to prefer it or not.
He doesn’t care if you happen to name him a foul-baiter, or if you happen to scream into the closest microphone about how a lot you hate his sport.
If defenders are going to make use of their size, wingspan, and aggression to cease him from attending to his spots, Brunson’s going to weaponize that very same physicality towards them — even when it slows the sport down, even when it drives purists mad.
“It’s part of the game. I think when you have guys who are 6-7, 6-8, long arms, all that, they’re gonna use it to their advantage,” Brunson mentioned after morning shootaround on the Knicks’ Tarrytown coaching facility forward of Recreation 5 towards the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. “My advantage — I feel like it’s my strength — is the way I’m able to use my footwork and find different angles to attack. I don’t know how else to say it, but I like the way I’m able to use my body to get off defenders and find ways to attack.”
By 4 playoff video games, Brunson ranks third in free throw makes an attempt and second in private fouls drawn per sport, averaging 9 in every class. Solely Giannis Antetokounmpo has drawn extra fouls, and solely Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum are averaging extra free throws per sport.
Coincidentally, Brunson’s 33.3 factors per sport rank second amongst all playoff scorers, trailing solely Antetokounmpo.
Detroit has thrown every part it has at him — from second-year stopper Ausar Thompson, to nagging guards like Dennis Schroder and Ron Holland II, to lengthy wings like Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris, and Cade Cunningham. None of it has labored.
“It’s just two teams going at it and trying to find a way to win,” Brunson mentioned. “It doesn’t matter what the situation is or what the matchups are. We’re just two teams competing.”
PLAYOFF HISTORY
The Knicks haven’t closed out a playoff collection at Madison Sq. Backyard since 1999. On Tuesday, they’ll have their probability towards the Pistons.
However contained in the locker room, nobody is nervous in regards to the historical past books — solely about ending the job.
“Honestly we just want to close out a series. We’re not getting caught up in no stats like that,” mentioned Karl-Anthony Cities. “As long as the series gets closed out and the Knicks move onto the next round, that’s all we care about.”
Given how slender the margins have been — the Knicks received Video games 3 and 4 by a mixed three factors — there’s no room for vainness.
“It’s a big deal to win a series regardless of where you’re at in my eyes,” Brunson mentioned. “I think it’s very special to win at The Garden. But to close out, you have to close out wherever you are. We have an opportunity to close out tonight.”
“There’s urgency every game to win a game. It’s the playoffs,” Cities added. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a close-out game or Game 1. You want to win every single game you’re part of in the playoffs. So you’ve just gotta come out with a determination to find a way to win.”
DON’T SLEEP ON CADE
Pistons All-Star Cunningham is capturing simply 44% from the sector and 25% from three by way of 4 video games, however the Knicks aren’t stress-free.
“He’s capable of having huge games. He’s shown that this series and throughout his career,” Brunson mentioned. “It’s not just gonna be the person guarding him. It’s gonna be on all of us to help slow him down. It’s definitely a tough task, but we’re up to the challenge and we’ve gotta go out there and compete.”
BRUNSON NOTES
Requested if he’s realized something new about his teammates in the course of the first 4 video games, Brunson mentioned:
“I have,” he mentioned, “and I’ll keep that to myself.”
After leaving the courtroom with an obvious harm within the third quarter, Brunson returned to attain 15 fourth-quarter factors and assist gas a gritty 94-93 win.
How does he really feel heading right into a closeout Recreation 5?
“Fantastic,” he deadpanned.
