New York– Jalen Brunson I haven’t delivered a signature game yet new York KnicksFirst round series against atlanta hawks. Game 5 seemed like the perfect time to address it.
Brunson’s 39 points were, by far, his best performance of the series, and it coincided with the Knicks’ all-round dominance over the Hawks on Tuesday night. win 126-97 At Madison Square Garden. New York took a 3-2 lead Thursday with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
It was the second consecutive perfect performance by the Knicks after two one-point losses, and perhaps Brunson had the Hawks’ Game 2 visit in mind when he stunned the Knicks with a fourth-quarter rally to steal home-court advantage.
Brunson scored 17 in the fourth to help the Knicks get an easy win.
“The ball went in, but glad we were able to keep the lead,” Brunson said. “As you know, they are a team that has been able to score runs since the beginning of the series. But I liked the way we played in the fourth and kept the lead.”
Some of Brunson’s highest scoring feats since becoming the Knicks have occurred at the end of a playoff series. He had three consecutive 40-point games in the first round against philadelphia 76ers In 2024, a 40-point game against Detroit last year to win the series in Game 6, and one of his best, a 39-point, 12-assist performance in the second round against Boston last year, giving the Knicks a 3-1 lead.
It wasn’t as dramatic, but it was just as important to him as it was to the Knicks. Brunson came into Game 5 with two sub-40% shooting games while being chased by tall, rangy Hawks guards dyson daniels.
but after carl-anthony town With the Hawks isolated with a triple-double on Sunday, Hawks coach Quin Snyder put Daniels on Towns, giving Brunson more room to breathe for the first time in this series.
OG Anunoby continued his anonymous production with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Towns added 16 points with 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.
“It’s like a chess match,” Brunson said. “If someone makes one move, you have to make another move. You have to wait to see what they do. The way we play, we have to be ready for anything.”
The Knicks have dominated the last two games since falling behind in the series, winning by an average of 22.5 points. The Knicks have limited the Hawks to just 42.7% from the field and 27.7% from the 3-point line in two games.
As a result, he limited the Hawks’ experienced guards. CJ McCallum By six points, his lowest output since becoming a member of the Hawks in January.
“It’s been a lot of things. We chose to do it as a unit,” Brunson said. “They got a lot of looks, too. And we were lucky they were missing. I think we were on the same page on both sides of the ball, that was a factor.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown called Brunson’s performance “phenomenal” and said he believed this team has developed a tough skin after the ups and downs of the first round.
“You have to go through some adversity during the year and see what you’re made of, see how you respond,” Brown said. “The guys have been through a lot so far this year and will continue to go through it. They’ve been through it as a group. There’s nothing that can stop this group, this experienced group.”
with boston celtics After losing a potentially close Game 5 against Philadelphia at home, the Knicks and Celtics are in equal amounts of rest should both take care of business on the road on Thursday night. It appears they have been on a collision course all season long.
“During a playoff run, you’ve got to be smart. Rest is a big thing,” Brown said. “The physicality of the game is a different level, so trying to give our guys the ability to recover not only their minds but their bodies as well is something we really believe in.”
