The New York Knicks are facing a 2-0 series deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals after losing Game 2 at Madison Square Garden to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. Jalen Brunson has not been the reason for the disappointing two-game deficit.
Through the first two games of the series, Brunson has been unstoppable.
In Game 1, he scored 43 points on 15-for-25 shooting to go along with five assists. He followed that performance up with 36 points and 11 assists in Game 2, shooting 13-for-27 from the field.
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Despite his massive two-game stretch to begin the series, Brunson’s team has lost both matchups. He and the Knicks are facing a near must-win scenario in Game 3 on Sunday evening in Indiana.
Read more: Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau Facing Stern Criticism from Former NBA Star
Following his impressive performance on Friday night, Brunson has entered LeBron James and Michael Jordan territory. He became the fourth player with five or more 35-point and 10-assist games in the playoffs. James, Jordan, and Jerry West are the only other players to accomplish that feat.
StatMamba shared that statistic in a post on X.
To say that being down 2-0 in the series is disappointing after those two games from Brunson would be an understatement. New York is facing the reality that its season could come to an end in the very near future.
Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks’ head coach, spoke out with a blunt statement after the Game 2 loss. He revealed what his team needs to do to win moving forward in the series.
“Going into the fourth quarter, it’s a tie ballgame. We’ve just got to make better plays, more winning plays,” Thibodeau said.
Read more: Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard Makes Bold Statement After Game 2 Win vs Knicks
Brunson hasn’t just been good against the Pacers. He has been playing at an incredibly high level throughout the entire postseason.
He has played in 14 playoff games this year and has averaged 30.4 points, 7.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds. In addition, he has shot 45.6 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from the three-point line.
New York can’t ask for much more from its star point guard. Other players will need to step up and elevate their game around him for the Knicks to come back and win the series.
Game 3 will be played on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET. New York cannot afford to go down 3-0, but Indiana smells blood in the water. It should be a very entertaining game with a lot on the line for both squads.
For more New York Knicks and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
