Getty Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks dribbles up the court against the Chicago Bulls.
The New York Knicks took care of business during Saturday night’s Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as they went on to win the hard-fought contest by a final score of 101-97. Leading the charge for the fifth-seeded Knickerbockers was point guard Jalen Brunson who led his team with 27 points scored.
And while the 26-year-old’s on-court production was adored by the club’s faithful followers, it was seemingly admonished by some members of the Cavs, namely third-year wing Isaac Okoro who called Brunson out for his in-game “antics” during a recent media session.
When discussing with reporters Cleveland’s defensive approach when taking on an assignment like the Knicks’ $104 million stud, Okoro noted that he believes they “played him well,” though the forward feels that Jalen Brunson is one to exaggerate contact in an attempt to draw a foul.
“Just being disciplined. Talking to the refs to try to let them know some of the antics he might do,” Isaac Okoro said when discussing guarding Jalen Brunson. “Just, you know, nodding your head back, falling on the ground with not a lot of physicality used on you. Just little things to help him get fouls.”
Isaac Okoro says Jalen Brunson has “antics” on the court that allow him to draw fouls: “Nodding your head back, falling on the ground when not a lot of physicality is used on you”
He adds that he speaks with referees in an attempt to make them aware of Brunson’s “antics”
Following his statement, a reporter asked point-blank if he believes the Knicks guard “gets away with stuff,” a question to which Okoro sidestepped on giving a straightforward answer. The 22-year-old took a beat to think, only to say “in today’s game a lot of players do that,” and claimed that “as a defender, we just have to adjust to that and be smarter.”
Though Jalen Brunson did average a respectable 5.8 free throw attempts per game throughout the regular season, it’s hard to see the argument that he, in particular, guns for foul calls, as he ranked just 27 in the league in average attempts.
Knicks Jalen Brunson Gets Endorsement For Major Award
Jalen Brunson is amid a career-best campaign in his first season with the Knicks and, as a result, the fifth-year pro finds himself in contention for the league’s Most Improved Player award.
Though odds-makers may have the likes of Utah’s Lauri Markkanen and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of him on their projections lists, in a recent video posted on Twitter, former NBA stud and the 1999-2000 recipient of the MIP award, Jalen Rose gave his endorsement for New York’s floor general.
“This year’s most improved player is Jalen Brunson,” Rose said. “He goes to the Knicks, they become the fifth seed. He solidifies that spot at the point. He leads the league in floaters, averages 24 points. He rejuvenates Julius Randle, who was getting booed by his home fans last year. Jalen Brunson [is this year’s] most improved player.”
This year’s Most Improved Player is @jalenbrunson1.
As mentioned, Brunson has put forth a career-best campaign in 2022-23, as he finished the regular season off with stellar per-game averages of 24.0 points and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the floor and 41.6% from deep.
Josh Hart Doubtful For Knicks in Game 2
The Cleveland Cavaliers may already be prepping to take on Jalen Brunson for Tuesday’s Game 2, but his Villanova teammate may prove to be a non-factor within their game plan, as his availability for the outing is in question.
During a media session on Monday, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters that the veteran wing was a limited participant due to a sprained ankle during the day’s practice.
“Josh did some parts of the practice. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Thibodeau said via SNY.
Josh Hart only participated in parts of practice today due to a sprained left ankle.
His status for tomorrow night’s Game 2 is uncertain:
Unfortunately, as things currently stand he’s listed as “doubtful” for Game 2 according to the league’s official injury report.