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Knicks React to Major Jalen Brunson Announcement
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons are tied 1-1 in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. The Knicks won Game 1 at home but lost Game 2 at Madison Square Garden. 

New York has to win Game 3 or 4 in Detroit to reclaim home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series. The team will need its leader and best player, Jalen Brunson, to lead the way on the road and the lefty may have an extra kick in his step after what happened on Wednesday. 

Brunson won the 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year Award. The All-Star guard averaged an NBA-high 5.6 points and shot 51.5% from the field in clutch situations (final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points), according to the NBA

In the 28 clutch games in which Brunson played, the Knicks had a record of 17-11. The iconic franchise reacted to the Brunson news by posting two posts on X. 

Brunson is in his third season with the Knicks. He averaged 26.0 points and 7.3 assists during the 2024-25 regular season while shooting 48.8% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 82.1% from the free-throw line. 

Brunson was 18th in the NBA in total points and eighth in points per game this season. 

The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the top point guards in the league since joining the Knicks in 2022 after spending the first four years of his career with the Dallas Mavericks. 

Knicks fans are certainly hopeful that Brunson can lead the franchise to the championship this year for the first time since 1973. 

It will be fascinating to see how far New York goes in the 2025 postseason with Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby leading the way. 

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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