New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson has made the NBA postseason stage his own since joining his hometown franchise as a free agent in 2022.
Over his last four playoff runs, Brunson has amassed a total of 1,531 points — the most by any player in the NBA. That’s more points than 2023 Finals MVP Nikola Jokic (1,466), Jayson Tatum (1,383), 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown (1,330) and 2025 Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1,247). Even Anthony Edwards, who led the Minnesota Timberwolves to back-to-back Western Conference Finals trips in 2024 and 2025, has managed 1,195 points during this timeframe, nearly 400 fewer than Brunson.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell — who will go toe-to-toe with Brunson in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals — has 494 fewer points since 2022-23.
A Knicks Culture Shifter
The Knicks, who missed the playoffs the year before Brunson arrived, have taken gradual steps towards an NBA title since the arrival of the Villanova alum.
After leading them to the second round in back-to-back years (2023 and 2024)—an achievement that had eluded the Knicks for more than 20 years—Brunson guided the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals trip of the 21st century last year.
This year, he seems primed to help them snap their 26-year NBA Finals drought. The Knicks, on a seven-game winning streak, will host the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night. New York opens as a 7.5-point favorite.
Jalen Brunson Predicted to Dominate
With 1,532 points in 52 playoff games, Brunson has already moved to No. 3 all-time in Knicks playoff points, trailing only Walt Frazier (1,927) and Patrick Ewing (2,787). However, he is the runaway leader in points (29.4) and assists per game (6.7) — a remarkable achievement for a former second-round pick. At his current scoring pace, he will likely surpass Frazier during the 2027 playoffs and inch closer to Ewing within the next three postseason runs, furthering his legacy as an all-time great Knick.
The southpaw will only add to his legacy if he can lead the Knicks past the Cavaliers. The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III feels the Cavaliers lack the perimeter personnel to slow down Brunson, citing James Harden and Donovan Mitchell’s defensive deficiencies. That’s precisely why many analysts felt the Detroit Pistons — who smoked the Knicks in all three regular-season meetings — would have posed more problems for Brunson and Co. with Ausar Thompson and Cade Cunningham on the wings.
“The Cavaliers have no one even close to the level of Thompson on the perimeter who could give Brunson a hard time throughout a series,” he wrote last week.
Riding a 7-0 winning streak into Game 1 against the Cavaliers, the Knicks have crushed opponents by an average of 26.4 points while shooting 54.8% from the field and 43.2% from deep since their Game 3 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. During this run, Brunson has averaged 27.3 points and 6.1 assists on 52/43/90 shooting splits.
Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 1 tips off at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Stunning Jalen Brunson News Drops Before Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 1