Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks
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The New York Knicks have struggled against the Indiana Pacers during the conference finals, and Jalen Brunson is making one thing clear.
The New York Knicks have struggled against the Indiana Pacers during the conference finals, but that doesn’t mean they’re out.
For one, the games have been incredibly close, with the first game of the series even going into overtime. So, it’s been a win for viewers who want to see a true matchup. Plus, it shows that the Knicks are certainly within reach of being able to win this series.
Ahead of the Knicks vs. Pacers matchup on Sunday, May 25, Knicks star Jalen Brunson sent a strong message to Knicks fans worried about the team’s 2-0 standing.
Jalen Brunson on the Knicks’ State of Mind
There’s a lot of pressure resting on Brunson, because he’s one of the team’s biggest stars, as well as their captain. Despite the team’s losses, he’s played solidly. For Game 2, he clocked 36 points and 11 assists, plus he shot 13/27 from the field and 5/12 from the three-point range in 39 minutes of playing time. For both games, he has notched 79 points and 16 assists.
Ahead of the third game in the series, Brunson sent a strong message, stating in a video from SNY, “We’re a confident group.”
He added in the video clip, “We just know that our back’s against the wall. We’ve just got to go out there and go out swinging.”
Bronson also owned up to the fact that the Knicks have to player harder and better if they want to overcome their nemesis in the Pacers.
“Everything we need to do has to be better,” Brunson said in another video via SNY. “Our next game, our most important game, we’ve just got to go out there and fight.”
Some Good News for the New York Knicks
Even though the Knicks are down 2-0 and playing on the road on Sunday, Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report points out that the Knicks have something going for them in Indiana. They play really well on the road. They might even play better on the road than at home.
“If there is a silver lining for Brunson and the Knicks, it is their performance on the road in the playoffs to this point,” Polacek states in a May 25 piece. “New York won all three contests away from home in its first-round series against the Detroit Pistons and then won two of the three on the road in the second round against the Boston Celtics.”
He adds that the Knicks were able to overcome the Pistons became they played so well in the Motor City. Their final game that solidified their victory in that round of the playoffs was in Detroit, too.
“Indiana also won the first two games on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round but lost Game 3 on its home floor,” Polacek adds. “While the Pacers turned things around and won the series in five, the Knicks may be better positioned to take advantage of such a situation if they can steal one on the road in Sunday’s matchup.”
The Timberwolves rebounded in a major way against the Thunder on Saturday, May 24, so let’s see if the Knicks do the same.