The New York Knicks just got a much-needed win on the road.
It wasn’t easy, as they had to grind in the Western Conference against the Sacramento Kings, an up-and-coming team that’s going to make the playoffs.
It was an old-fashioned, physical game, a territory the Knicks are quite familiar with.
Notably, Jalen Brunson was responsible for almost half of his team’s 98 points, scoring 42 with a couple of assists.
That’s why, following the game, Kings coach Mike Brown tipped his hat to him, calling him “a helluva player,” and praising him for the way he was able to shake off double-teams to still put up over 40 points against them (via New York Basketball).
Kings coach Mike Brown on Jalen Brunson: "Man, he's a helluva player. I don't know if––Steph maybe––we blitzed anybody as much as we did Jalen tonight…& he still scored 42…Jalen shot 50% from the 3 & over 50% from the field, & we sent the double team at him every single time he… pic.twitter.com/lP6Rj4efXm
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 17, 2024
The Kings aren’t the best defensive team in the league, but they’ve made great strides under Brown.
Brunson has become one of the most underrated players in the league, and he should be an MVP candidate with the season he’s having and the impact he’s making for the Knicks.
Tom Thibodeau’s team hit a bit of a rough patch because of all the injuries, and Brunson has continued to do most of the heavy lifting when Julius Randle and/or OG Anunoby have been unavailable.
This team is closer to championship contention than people give them credit for, and a lot of that has had to do with Brunson’s arrival.
The fans now hope that they’ll be able to make another run once they’re all healthy, and get back to the NBA Finals for the first time in almost three decades.
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