The New York Knicks are one of the most exciting teams in the NBA, and that wouldn’t be possible without Jalen Brunson.
Brunson has happily accepted his role as team leader, and the stats show what he is capable of when the stakes are highest.
According to KnicksMuse, there have only been three players to score 75+ fourth-quarter points through their first seven games of a postseason run in the play-by-play era.
They were Kobe Bryant in 2008, Steph Curry in 2023, and now Brunson in 2025.
They call him the “Playoff Closer,” and that seems accurate.
Playoff Closer. pic.twitter.com/JhAniUSumw
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) August 12, 2025
Last season, Brunson produced an average of 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists on 48.8 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from the three-point line.
During the playoffs, he was putting up 29.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists.
Brunson was a driving force for his Knicks and helped them push far into the playoffs.
He was able to bring individual skill to the court, never afraid to post a clutch shot or drive his way into traffic and work toward the basket.
But he was also a great playmaker and was capable of finding teammates who were in their spots and ready to fire away.
Brunson can score excellently, but he can also read the floor better than nearly any other floor general in the league.
The Knicks got a taste of real postseason success, but they obviously want a lot more in 2025-26.
That means they will need to stay healthy, and they will ask that Brunson keep scoring like a maniac in the fourth quarter and beyond.
Brunson and his Knicks want to get back to the playoffs, but they want to do even better next year.
NEXT: Knicks Closing In On Former Player As Assistant Coach