Jalen Brunson Takes Blame in New Video After Knicks' Loss to McCollum, Hawks in NBA Playoffs Game 3
Jalen Brunson believes he could be doing "everything" better for the New York Knicks after the team lost 109-108 in Game 3 and now trail the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Brunson told reporters he "wasn't good enough" during Thursday's loss. When asked what he feels should be better, "Everything," Brunson replied.
Brunson had a solid game for the majority of Thursday's loss, putting up 26 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals. But with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter he missed a midrange jumper (and while the Knicks secured the rebound, they ultimately turned the ball over on a shot-clock violation) and also turned the ball over on the final sequence of the game.
"We actually got a switch that we weren't thinking we'd get, in terms of Onyeka Okongwu on Jalen," head coach Mike Brown told reporters after the game. "And we cleared the side of the floor for him. That's what we wanted to do — we wanted to zipper him to the top of the floor, and clear that right side of the floor for him, because that's what he's comfortable doing, and tell him to go win it."
It didn't help having to deal with Dyson Daniels, an excellent defender, throughout much of the contest.
Final possession aside, Brunson isn't going to be the main scapegoat on a night when Mikal Bridges didn't score a point, only attempted three shots and turned the ball over four times.
Not exactly the sort of performance worth five first-round picks.
Or on a night when Josh Hart was 1-for-9 from the field (though in his defense he did have nine rebounds and six assists).
"We're down 2-1. Right now, there's no room to feel sorry for ourselves," Hart told reporters after the loss. "We've got to make sure we regroup and go out and focus for Game 4."
And that means everybody on the Knicks, including Brunson, has to be better.
