The New York Knicks are down 2-0 to the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals despite having home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series.
The Knicks lost Games 1 and 2 at home at Madison Square Garden. New York must win Game 3 on Sunday in Indiana to avoid going down 3-0.
New York star point guard Jalen Brunson is averaging 39.5 points through two games against Indiana while shooting 53.8% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 89.5% from the free-throw line. Those are strong numbers.
However, an NBA champion is blaming Brunson for the Knicks being down 2-0 to the Pacers.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Jeff Teague, who won the 2021 championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, said Brunson is holding the ball too long on offense.
"You know how the Knicks lose these games bro? Jalen Brunson holds the ball for, the shot clock is 24 seconds, he's holding that (expletive) for 17 (seconds)," Teague said. "It's the way he hold the ball.
"They don't get no rhythm. That's why when he comes out the game, all of a sudden the pace pick up, the tempo pick up. All of a sudden, you see people start hoopin' a little bit. He hold the ball so long."
Brunson has a usage rate of 40.1% versus the Pacers in the conference finals.
Meanwhile, Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton's usage rate is only 26.2%. He's averaging 22.5 points while shooting 43.6% from the field, 31.8% from 3 and 66.7% from the free-throw line.
If the Knicks lose Game 3, the series is over, as no team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 series deficit in the playoffs.
It will be fascinating to see how Brunson and Co. play on Sunday.