During Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson saw more defensive pressure—including being blitzed the second he crossed half-court—after his epic 38-point performance in Game 1.
The southpaw responded by turning into a floor general, dishing out a playoff career-high 14 assists while taking five fewer shots than his postseason average.
His 14 assists were the most by a Knicks player in the 21st century.
Charlie Ward was the last Knick to record 14 or more assists during Game 5 of the first round series against the Miami Heat in 1998..
To illustrate how rare Brunson’s stat line was, he hadn’t recorded 10+ assists in the playoffs since Game 2 of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Furthermore, he had recorded 10+ assists in only six of his previous 79 career playoff games. In the ongoing playoffs, he had recorded seven or more assists only once in his last six games.
Jalen Brunson Changes His Game
Knicks head coach Mike Brown praised Brunson for altering his game and allowing his teammates to thrive — Josh Hart finished with a playoff career-high and took 21 shots.
“As an MVP candidate, Jalen Brunson’s job is to make the game easier for his teammates. That’s what he did,” Brown said of Brunson.
“That’s what great players do, right? They read the game, and the game dictated that”
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson wasn’t surprised.
“That’s what great players do, right? They read the game, and the game dictated that” Atkinson said after his team fell to a 2-0 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“That’s what great players do, right? They read the game, and the game dictated that”
Knicks Take 2-0 Lead
The Knicks are now just two wins away from ending their 26-year NBA Finals drought. ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill shared his biggest takeaways from the Game 2 win.
“It looked clear that the Knicks were in the driver’s seat early, especially after an 18-0 run to start the third quarter that was all they needed to secure the difference.
“Brunson was more of a distributor than scorer, with 14 assists to end the game after a quiet first half. Josh Hart was left open all game again, and made the Cavaliers pay. He hit three 3-pointers in the decisive third quarter run to finish with a team-high 26 points and a playoff career-high seven assists.
The Knicks held the Cavaliers to under 40% shooting and under 30% from 3-point range and never allowed them to settle into their offense, crowding the sweet spots on the court for Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Short of an early flurry from Evan Mobley, the Cavaliers’ size was never a factor.”
Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3 tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Jalen Brunson Shatters Knicks Record in Game 2 Win vs Cavaliers