Nike Trolls Cavs After Knicks Win With 'Brunson Burner' Diss

Nike sounded off Tuesday night after New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson keyed a 22-point, fourth-quarter comeback in a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After Brunson finished with a game-high 38 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, Nike Basketball wrote on X, "Get close to the Brunson Burner. Get burned."

"Brunson Burner" is one of Brunson's many nicknames, and it is a play on the Bunsen burner, which is a commonly used piece of lab equipment.

Like the flame of a Bunsen burner, Brunson was red hot late in the Knicks remarkable comeback, as he took over during the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter, and made five baskets in a row at one point while going after Cavs guard James Harden.

Brunson tied the game with 19.3 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and New York outscored Cleveland 14-3 in the extra session to pull off a stunning, 115-104 win to take a 1-0 series lead.

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New York Yankees legend and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia chimed in on social media much like Nike, praising Brunson for his performance in the clutch:

Despite Brunson's three consecutive All-Star nods and development into one of the NBA's best scorers, fans and observers have questioned at times whether a team can go the distance with him as their best player.

After Tuesday's win, the Knicks are just three victories away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, and Brunson is the biggest reason why.

His 28.4 points per game in the playoffs lead the team, and he put the Knicks on his back when it mattered most in Game 1.