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New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson took the high road after missing out on his first All-Star starter nod via tie-breaker.
“Congrats to Damian Lillard, he’s deserving,” Brunson said, via SNY, after scoring 21 points in just 26 minutes in the Knicks’ wire-to-wire 122-84 win over defending champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday, January 25.
“That’s definitely a goal of mine, but the most important thing is it’s about how we handle business playing night in and night out. Obviously, that’s an individual goal but I won’t be in that position if not for my teammates and coaches. So as long as we win, individual stuff comes our way,” Brunson added.
Brunson and Lillard ended up tied with a 3.75 weighted score behind unanimous choice as the East’s top guard, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers.
But the Bucks star edged out Brunson in fan votes, 2,236,969 to 1,452,519.
Brunson finished 2nd in media votes, 3rd in player votes and 5th in fan votes among all Eastern Conference’s guards. Lillard, on the other hand, placed 3rd in fan votes, 4th in player votes and 5th in media votes.
Brunson is in the midst of a career season, averaging 26.5 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 42.4% from 3.
Lillard, who will start in the All-Star for the first time in eight appearances, is averaging 25.3 points and 6.8 assists but is only hitting 34.7% of his 3s, the third-lowest mark of his career.
Charles Barkley Picks Jalen Brunson Over Damian Lillard
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley felt sorry for Brunson for not making the cut by a slim margin.
“I’m never gonna show throw shade at Dame Lillard,” Barkley said on “Inside the NBA” on TNT after Thursday’s announcement of the All-Star starters. “I love him as a person and as a player, but I would have loved to see Jalen Brunson be a starter. I said this last year, I can’t believe what a great player he’s turned into.”
Barkley called Brunson’s arrival in New York “the greatest free agent signing.”
“What Jalen Brunson has [done] for the Knicks, he made the New York Knicks relevant for the first time since Patrick Ewing — plain and simple,” he added.
Brunson is expected to be voted as one of the top reserves by the coaches, which will be announced next Thursday, February 1.
Quentin Grimes Stays Professional Amid Trade Rumors
Quentin Grimes, the subject of trade rumors, finally broke his silence as the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz have registered interest in him, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
“I’ve kind of been in trade rumors since my rookie year. So I just try to come in every day, do my job, be professional,” Grimes told SNY. “Every time I step on the court, just give it 100%. Rumors are going to happen. I just step on the court and try to do everything to help this team win.”
Grimes scored 19 points in 23 minutes against the Nuggets, his most minutes since a 24-minute stint and a similar scoring output in their 128-92 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on January 5.
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