With Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs tipping off on Wednesday, there’s been no shortage of predictions and analysis in terms of potential advantages for both teams. And for ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst, the potential No. 1 difference-maker in the NBA Finals is Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson.
During a recent segment of ESPN’s ‘NBA Today’ show, Windhorst explained why close games that come down stretch during the NBA Finals tilt towards the Knicks’ favor as long as Jalen Brunson is running the show.
“The thing that could end up defining this series, Jalen Brunson’s heroics, Captain Clutch,” Windhorst said. “You know what they want, they want to get the game to the fourth quarter, get the ball to No. 11 and have him carry them home. It is what they have done since he came to New York. Their strategy to steal Game 1 and to steal these Finals, is to have Jalen Brunson carry them there. Can he be the hero that they’ve fallen in love with in New York.”
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Betting on Brunson during these NBA playoffs has been a pretty sure bet. The three-time All-Star has been one of the best performers in the postseason thus far.
Up to this point, Brunson has been averaging 26.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists with splits of 48.6 percent shooting from the field, 35.2 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 83.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line across 14 playoff games.
This is the sixth playoff appearance for the eight-year veteran out of Villanova and he’s raised his level of play consistently. Brunson holds a regular season career-average of 19.2 points and a playoff career average of 25.6 points.
With Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs tipping off on Wednesday, there’s been no shortage of predictions and analysis in terms of potential advantages for both teams. And for ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst, the potential No. 1 difference-maker in the NBA Finals is Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson.