The last player to have produced three-consecutive 40+ point playoff performances was none other than Michael Jordan back in 1993. Jalen Brunson just reached the same record and carried the Knicks to the Eastern Conference’s semifinals after beating the Sixers 4-2 in a best-of-seven series.
Despite individual stars and many injuries along the way, coach Tom Thibodeau’s team always strived for a collective spirit. “I think it’s not the best individual players that win, always,” he said during the week. “It’s the best team that wins. And that’s what we have to be. When we lost guys along the way, we knew we had to be a great team to be able to overcome that.”
This is why New York has been able to overcome every obstacle along the way, including last night’s 118-155 victory in Philadelphia. Now the Manhattan club will face off against Indiana, who also qualified for the playoff’s second round this Thursday after defeating Milwaukee 4-2 in the series.
Jalen Brunson’s 213 points in Round 1 ties Bernard King (1984 First Round vs. Pistons) for the most points in a single series in @nyknicks history! pic.twitter.com/wahkgT8uEF
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 3, 2024
Brunson was shining bright after the match came to an end. “[It means] a lot,” he said. “In the locker room after the game it was quiet, so we all knew that we missed an opportunity. But we know that coming into [Game 6] we needed to have a good start. We haven’t had a good start all series. Obviously they fought back and took the lead, but the start definitely helped us, and it was back and forth from that point on.
“I just like the way we kept fighting. I think that’s what we’ve been talking about all year, just make sure we keep fighting no matter what the situation is, we have to stick together and we’re going to fight,” the guard added.
Jalen believes that the Knicks can go all the way for the title if they maintain they style of play. “No matter what the situation is we’re going to attack it. I just think that no matter who’s in front of us or whatever we’re going to go out there, play our style of basketball,” Brunson said.
“We’re going to grind. We’re going to respect our opponent. We’re going to know it’s always going to be a difficult situation no matter who you’re playing in this league,” the star continued.
Brunson has produced three games of at least 35 points and 10 assists in this first-round series, becoming only the second athlete to do that in the playoff stage.
Coach Thibodeau praised his team for being “fighters” and never backing down from a challenge
Eliminating the 76ers wasn’t an easy feat, as Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid were determined to keep their hopes alive. In the last two games of the series, Philly rallied back from a deficit and tied the game in the final seconds, but New York stayed strong.
“They fought back, which, there’s going to be runs,” the Knicks coach said. “Then we responded again. And then the fourth quarter was one big play after the next, and a lot of the time it was the hustle plays. And that’s the thing I love about our team. It’s a team, and they’re fighters. They don’t stay down.”
Isiah Hartenstein gave credit to their rivals for doing “a great job of adjusting to what we were doing” throughout this six-match series. According to the New York player, the “biggest thing” for New York was to remain concentrated, and keep fighting back, regardless of what came at them.
“I think that’s what we’ve been doing all season long,” the big man said after defeating the Sixers 118-115 this Thursday. “Anything that comes in front of us, we’re ready for the next thing.”
