Jalen Brunson Hyped by Knicks HC Thibodeau, Donte DiVincenzo for Playing with Injury

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau and guard Donte DiVincenzo both lauded star Jalen Brunson for his efforts in Wednesday's 130-121 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Brunson briefly exited due to a foot injury and returned to the game, finishing with 29 points, five assists and three steals.

"He's a great leader, and the players all have respect for that when a guy tries to give whatever he has," Thibodeau told reporters. "It says a lot about him. To me, the actions say a lot more than the words. It says that you care a lot about your team and your teammates."

DiVincenzo also called Brunson a "warrior."

"There was no doubt in my mind he'd be back," he said.

Brunson has been the standout performer of the 2024 NBA playoffs so far. Through eight games, he's averaging 35.6 points and 8.1 assists and playing 42.4 minutes per contest.

Throughout this season, there has been a general skepticism toward the Knicks' championship credentials.

While this roster has done well in the regular season, they haven't gone beyond the second round of the postseason. Brunson, while steadily improving, hadn't yet broken through into the tier reserved for players who could almost single-handedly carry their teams to a title.

So far, the 27-year-old is again addressing his doubters head on, something he has consistently done throughout his NBA career.