NBA World Hails Jalen Brunson’s Contrast With Giannis Antetokounmpo As Knicks Fall Short In Pacers’ Historic Night

The coming of a historical moment seemed to have initially been on the horizon for the New York Knicks after they entered the Conference Semifinals for the 2 time in over 24 years. However, they faced stiff competition against the Indiana Pacers at this stage. With a 3-4 score, the franchise has gotten themselves eliminated from the tournament earlier today. Despite their shortcoming and his ill-fated fracture, the contribution made by lead scorer, Jalen Brunson is being hailed throughout the NBA spectrum. Even a single two-letter word is getting him compared to Milwaukee Bucks legend Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In the aftermath of the historical Game 7, Jalen Brunson engaged in a Q&A session with several media members. During the same, he was asked whether he considers the Knicks’ performance this season a success, given what all of them have been through. The 27-year-old did not have to think for long before coming up with a stern “No”. This remark earned him the respect of a social media user, who proceeded to claim that someone like Giannis would have given a contrasting viewpoint in this situation.

The Knicks had entered the Semifinals series after having delivered a strong bout during the first round of the playoffs. In fact, the franchise even went on to win their first 2 matchups against the Pacers. However, by the time Game 3 approached, the main roster was missing three main players: Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic. Furthermore, small forward OG Anunoby developed a hamstring strain during Game 2, causing him to absent for the rest of the matchups. As a result of these unfortunate circumstances, the scoring pressure fell mostly on the shoulders of Jalen Brunson, who himself faced difficulty overcoming a sore right foot. The Indiana Pacers were able to take advantage of this situation. With Tyrese Haliburton leading the offensive charge, they managed to win Game 3 and three consecutive games later on.

Bucks lead scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo was in a somewhat similar situation as the Knicks roster. He too developed a hamstring tendinopathy that caused him to be absent from the first round of the playoffs. A few games into the series, his teammate Damian Lillard was ruled out as well after contracting a separate ailment. The remark by the above-mentioned NBA fan may have stemmed from the fact that the ‘Greak Freak’ has often remained an optimistic individual, often allegedly putting out the positive in light of a loss and believing that he and his roster can do better. However, in Jalen Brunson’s case, if the day you get eliminated from the NBA tournament is not the occasion to talk about your team performance, then when can it be?

How did Jalen Brunson perform during Game 7?

With Game 7 having taken place at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks had the home court advantage going into the matchup. Furthermore, expectations were high on Jalen Brunson to lead the offensive effort to the best of his capabilities. While the game may have been lost, no one could have accused Brunson of giving out his best. The player played for over 29 minutes and dropped a score of 17 points and 9 assists. This score was achieved as a result of the 6-17 field goals, 1-3 three pointers and 4-5 free throws he made during the course of the matchup.

Jalen Brunson could have gone even further with his score. However, during the third quarter, he attempted to make a defensive possession right out of the hand of his rival Tyrese Haliburton. This action resulted in him injuring his hand severely. Further analysis revealed the injury to be a full-blown fracture! Brunson made a brief exit in the direction of the locker room, returned to the basketball court soon after that, and then ended up returning back after just 14 seconds. With 3 minutes and 2 seconds remaining, Brunson’s condition did not allow him to play any further.

Despite not being able to make it to the next stage, not many would disagree that Jalen Brunson led the Knicks to one of the franchise’s best seasons in over two decades. If it wasn’t for the multitudes of injuries faced by several members of their lineup, then the situation may have been quite different in the present. Do you hold the same opinion? Or are you more inclined towards Jalen Brunson’s thought process? Let us know in the comments down below.