Jalen Brunson on the floor during an NBA Playoff game between the Knicks and Pacers.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jalen Brunson has been one of the NBA’s top players this season, helping lead the New York Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals. He showed out in Game 1 against the Pacers with a 43-point outing. Unfortunately, he also made headlines for the wrong reasons.
Brunson was seen foul baiting throughout the contest, something that’s grown somewhat synonymous with the guard. One particularly hilarious instance is now going viral on social media.
At one point in the action, he was seen advancing the ball up the floor with defender Aaron Nesmith trailing. Nesmith made a swipe at the ball. Brunson attempted to use that maneuver against him.
The guard grabbed his defender’s arm and proceeded to purposely use it as a weapon. Brunson hit himself in the face while trying to draw contact. It produced a truly absurd visual.
pic.twitter.com/08dhVdIO4V
— No Context NBA (@NoContext_NBA_) May 22, 2025
Foul baiting has been an issue in the NBA for some time. Flopping is at an all-time high. Players are doing anything and everything in their power to get to the free throw line. They’ve become quite good at it, too. Brunson has become one of the top offenders.
“He doesn’t have the reputation of Harden or Trae Young, but he’s afoul hunter. He uses the dark arts… This is what the referees are cracking down on, the fouls that he gets sometimes are not what they’re going to give him.”
-ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst
While the tactic is often effective, it’s something that frustrates most NBA fans. Constant whistles take away from game flow and viewing entertainment. No one enjoys watching a free throw shooting contest.
Luckily in this case, Jalen Brunson did not get the foul call. Officials didn’t take the bait!
He did get to the line for 14 attempts in Game 1, the most of any player in the game. He connected on 12 of those shots to boost his scoring total.
The 43-point performance was not enough to get the Knicks a win, however. Despite holding a nine-point lead with under a minute left to play, New York lost the game in overtime, 138-135. They’ll look to even the series in Game 2.