“I don't know what else you can do”: Tom Thibodeau sounds off on Jalen Brunson’s 61 points in losing effort

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau vented his frustration after Jalen Brunson's 61-point night went in vain in Friday's 130-126 OT loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Brunson shot 53.2% on 46 attempts, including 5-of-13 coming from beyond the arc. Usually, a high-scoring burst like this gets support by a significant uptick in free throw attempts.

However, that didn't seem to be the case for Brunson, who made only six trips to the foul line. The Knicks dealt with the free throw disparity as a unit, with a 32-12 differential in favor of the Spurs. Thibodeau didn't hold back his thoughts after the game, with the disparity proving decisive in the eventual outcome:

"A foul's a foul," Thibodeau said (h/t New York Basketball on X). "That's what I do know. What I'm hearing, I don't really like. I don't know what else you can do, what else you can say. It's clear as day, it really is that simple."

The Knicks attempted 58 shots in the paint compared to the Spurs' 32, who relied more on their jump shooting from distance. Brunson had 24 of those 58 shots from the free throw line or closer.

However, with some questionable no-calls, Brunson was held to his season average of 6.1 free throw attempts. Victor Wembanyama, who finished with a 40-point outing, had 12 attempts, while Keldon Johnson had eight off the bench. Both players combined for 30 attempts from the field but were awarded 20 free throws.

New York also had 110 shots to the Spurs' 82, contributing to Tom Thibodeau's frustrations over the FT disparity.

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Jalen Brunson becomes 4th player to score 50+ points with six or fewer free throw attempts

Jalen Brunson's 61-point night will be a cherished performance for the ages. It's rare for a guard his size to record such scoring nights, but what's more interesting is that he did so despite significant contributions coming from the charity stripe. Bunson's career-high effort was only the fourth time a player scored 50 or more points with six or fewer free throw attempts.

The other three players who went on a scoring tear as good as Brunson's were James Harden, Ricky Barry and Steph Curry. Harden scored 55 points in 2019 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on five free throw attempts while Barry had 64 against the Portland Trail Blazers on five free throw attempts in 1974.

Curry tallied 60 points earlier this season against the Atlanta Hawks on six free throws.

Brunson's 61-point effort was undoubtedly special, but it will sting that it came in a losing cause against one of the league's worst teams.