PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Brunson broke several New York Knicks playoff records, behind a 47-point, 10-assist performance to lead his team to a thrilling 97-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of their first-round series. He asked if he would search for his achievements now or save them for later.
“I'll look back when I retire,” Branson said. “Of course, it's good now and that helped us win.
“But that's not going to do anything for us going forward.”
Still, Knicks fans, the thousands who traveled down Interstate 95 to occupy the Wells Fargo Center Sunday afternoon, will be basking in plenty. They saw Brunson put on his latest incredible performance in a season full of them to give New York a 3-1 advantage in this best-of-seven affair.
Game 5 takes place Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, where New York will try to advance to the second round and face either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Indiana Pacers.
“At one point,” Joel Embiid, who had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists but shot 7-for-19 overall and missed all five of his shots in the fourth quarter, said afterward when asked about his mood as a team. faces elimination. “We know we're good enough. Tonight, we didn't make shots, so we just have to keep believing in ourselves.
“There's no pressure on us. We're 3-1 at No. 7 and a lot of people are hurt. … I don't know why we're feeling the pressure. So we've got to go out and play our best basketball — let's win one, Let's win another one, yes, I'm looking forward to it.
Embiid's comments aside, the 76ers were under Brunson's pressure every second the Knicks star was on the court on Sunday. He shot 18-for-34, grabbed four rebounds and committed just one turnover over 43 minutes.
The star guard's 47 points broke the franchise playoff scoring record, and he became the Knick with at least 40 points and 10 assists in a playoff game. According to ESPN Stats and Information, he became the third player with at least 45 points, 10 assists and 1 or zero turnovers in a playoff game, joining Damian Lillard and Kevin Johnson. Brunson joins Trae Young as the only players in NBA history to score at least 70 points in consecutive playoff games.
All of this was a remarkable turnaround from the opening two games of the series, when Brunson went 16-for-55 from the field.
“Jalen's a great player,” said OG Anunoby, who played stellar defense on Embiid with starting center Isaiah Hardenstein on the bench in foul trouble. “You expect it. You expect him to make every shot. He's a great player. Even though he was cold the first two games, you know he's going to turn it around. Because we see him every day.
“It's going to come back eventually.”
Every time Brunson missed a shot, the Knicks seemed to be there to catch the miss. New York, which already won Game 1 of the series by dominating the offensive glass, grabbed 15 offensive boards, leading to a 21-8 edge in second-chance points.
That advantage was especially telling in the fourth quarter, when New York grabbed seven offensive rebounds, held an 11-2 edge in second-chance points and forced Philadelphia into 11 consecutive misses in the game's final five minutes.
“I think we've learned that all season long,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said when asked what allows his team to win late in games. “Jalen has played at an incredibly high level all season and we can play that.
“We have a little bit of everything. And the rebound has been fantastic. Everyone has been questioning the rebound with Josh. [Hart] In forward power. We were the best rebounding team all year. Everyone questioned Jalen as a leader.
“We have a lot to prove. It takes four to win a series and that's what we have to focus on.”
