Jalen Brunson's 'Phenomenal' 39-Point Game Praised by Knicks' Mike Brown After Blowout Win vs. Hawks
After struggling to find his shot early in the series against the Atlanta Hawks, Jalen Brunson got back on track in a big way with 39 points to lead the New York Knicks to a dominant 126-97 victory in Game 5 on Tuesday night to go up 3-2 in the series.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown was gushing over Brunson's "phenomenal" performance while talking about his team's resolve throughout the entire season.
"You've got to go through some adversity through the course of the year and see what you're made of, see how you'll respond," Brown told reporters after the win. "The guys have been through a lot so far this year and continue to go through it. They've been through it as a group. There's nothing that will deter this group, this veteran group."
Brunson entered Tuesday averaging 25.5 points per game in the series against Atlanta, but his scoring efficiency was lacking with just a 41.6 field-goal percentage. His assist-to-turnover ratio was at 1.5 (21 assists, 14 turnovers), nearly half of his regular-season ratio (2.9).
Game 5 saw Brunson get back on track in spectacular fashion. He shot 15-of-23 from the field, dished out eight assists and committed one turnover in 35 minutes. His plus-minus of plus-23 in this game was better than the previous four games combined (plus-20).
After the Knicks lost Games 2 and 3, there were concerns about Brunson's defense against a Hawks team with four starters at 6'5" or taller. His small stature has made him a liability on that end of the court throughout his career, but it became more pronounced this time because of the pressure on New York to win big.
Knicks governor James Dolan told ESPN's Vincent Goodwill in January that they "should" win the NBA Finals, but they "absolutely have to" get there this season.
A first-round loss would have been catastrophic for the franchise. They still have work to do to get past the Hawks, but they are in position to do so after Brunson stepped up huge to put them on the brink of advancing.
The Knicks will look to close out the series in Game 6 at State Farm Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
