Jalen Brunson Shuts Down Narrative About Knicks Being Perceived as Favorites to Win East

After the New York Knicks crushed the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 to close out their first round playoff series in six games, a narrative has emerged that New York could very well be the favorite to win the Eastern Conference.

That makes sense given that (a) the Knicks looked invincible in their 51-point victory and (b) the other three Eastern Conference first round series have gone the distance.

However, Knicks star Jalen Brunson was asked about the narrative, and needless to say, he hasn't heard about it, nor is he concerned with it.

Brunson's stance makes sense. Pregame narratives are irrelevant compared to what actually transpires on the court, and Brunson and the Knicks are more concerned with getting the job done and sending New York to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

As it stands right now, it could be a real fight for the Knicks to get that far, especially if the higher seeds (No. 1 Detroit Pistons, No. 2 Boston Celtics and No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers) hold serve in their Game 7 matchups.

Right now, the Celtics actually lead the odds ledger to win the East, per FanDuel Sportsbook, at +200. Those odds will shorten even more if the C's beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. The Knicks are next at +270, followed by the Pistons (+390) and Cavaliers (+400) to round out the top four.

One can guess, though, that the Knicks would be the favorites if the Celtics don't advance to the semifinals.

New York can relax for the moment, though, as the team awaits the Celtics or 76ers in the conference semis.