SAN ANTONIO — OG Anunoby is having a moment, birthed from a moment that will outlive us all. The national recognition is long overdue for the Knicks’ best two-way player, who could soon be named the NBA Finals MVP.
But Jalen Brunson remains the leader in the clubhouse for the award, uniquely built to crush whatever will the Spurs have left, looking to lead the Knicks to their first title in 53 years, eight years after leaving San Antonio with his second national championship.
“I think the one thing that stays constant is I’ve always told myself, and always been taught by my parents, ‘Never be afraid to fail,’” Brunson said Friday at Frost Bank Center. “You put yourself in those positions in the summertime when you’re envisioning what’s going on the court, when you’re by yourself on the court …
“When those opportunities come about, you’re not afraid of the moment because you worked hard enough to where if you do fail, you’re going to learn anyway. You put the confidence you have in everything you do when the lights aren’t on, when no one’s watching.”
Brunson is 48 minutes from forever, coming off a brilliant effort in the record-setting 29-point Game 4 comeback, when he had 36 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals, including a key 3-pointer over Victor Wembanyama — bringing the Knicks within one with 2:21 remaining — and the go-ahead shot to put the Knicks in front for the first time with 1:22 left.
Brunson has played the hero multiple times this series — scoring 13 fourth-quarter points in Game 1, then recording a steal in between his game-tying and game-winning shots in Game 2 — but he has been uncharacteristically inefficient, struggling with the speed and physicality of a defense hellbent on bumping and blitzing him at every opportunity.
Through three games, Brunson scored 82 points on 81 shots, had as many turnovers as assists (13) and recorded a minus-13 rating. In Game 4, he looked most comfortable, getting space, and getting to his spots, shooting 12-for-25 and becoming the first Knick to record three 30-point games in a single NBA Finals.
“Whenever you win or lose a game, that night, you’re going to think about it, think about the things you’ve done well or what you did wrong, [but] I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page,” Brunson said. “Yes, we won [Game 4], but we still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to learn. We didn’t play our best basketball. We still have a lot to revisit to make sure that we don’t really put ourselves in that position again.
“We still have to continue to have the belief that we’ve had.”
Since Brunson’s 40-point masterpiece in the first round in Detroit last year — capped with his series-ending 3-pointer in the final seconds — the Knicks haven’t needed his heroics in clinching opportunities.
They beat the Celtics by 38 to finish last year’s second-round upset. This postseason run has seen the Knicks win by 51 in Atlanta, by 30 in Philadelphia and by 37 in Cleveland.
Each game of the NBA Finals has been decided in the final minute.
Enter Captain Clutch, the former second-round pick, the supposedly undersized and overpaid free-agent signing, who has become the city’s most beloved athlete — and has one more hill to climb.
“I think I’ve been able to understand what a unique opportunity this is,” Brunson said. “When you’re doing the things that help you prepare for a game, prepare for moments, put yourself in routines that you’ve done your whole career, your whole life, when it comes game time, you’re ready to go because you put yourself, you put your mind in a position to be ready.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
