Knicks' Jalen Brunson Open to 2026 NBA 3-Point Contest After 'Oops' Finish in 2025

Jalen Brunson isn't closing the door on another three-point contest after falling short of the final in Saturday's competition.

"Maybe. I don't know," the New York Knicks guard said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "I'll leave that door open."

It seemed like Brunson was going to cruise to the final when he made four of his first five shots and hit the first of two deep attempts worth three-points each. However, he made just two of the five attempts from his moneyball rack and struggled down the stretch.

He finished with 18 points in the opening round and fell just one point short of tying Darius Garland and Tyler Herro.

Garland and Herro advanced to the final alongside Buddy Hield, who put on a show on his way to 31 points in the first round. However, Herro prevailed in the final.

"Started off hot. I felt great. And then. Oops," Brunson said. "I feel like I rushed the last rack. You could practice all you want, but once you get out there it's a tad different."

While he didn't win, Brunson can at least take solace knowing he held his own against some of the best shooters in the league. He has come a long way from when he made a solid-but-unspectacular 34.8 percent of his triples as a rookie in 2018-19 and is making 39.7 percent of such attempts this season.

The Villanova product also connected on better than 40 percent of his three-pointers in three of his previous four seasons.

That ability to hit from the outside all while facilitating and getting to the basket helps open the floor for his teammates as well and is one reason the Knicks are 36-18 and on the short list of realistic contenders in the Eastern Conference.