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Jalen Brunson gallantly tried to put the New York Knicks on his back but failed to overcome the Miami Heat in Game 6 of their semi-finals series. New York has been eliminated from the playoffs despite Brunson's game-high 41 points.
After the game, Knicks fans showed their appreciation toward their team's starting point guard:
"Nothing but respect!"
Brunson earned his postseason stripes playing alongside Luka Doncic in the Western Conference playoffs. They were mostly responsible for giving the eventual champions Golden State Warriors fits in the Conference Finals.
Most New York Knicks fans probably thought Brunson would become Randle's second fiddle. The former Mavericks, however, played like he was the best player on Tom Thibodeau's roster. Many were wondering why he didn't make it to the All-Star team while Randle was selected.
With "Don Julio" less than 100% due to a sprained ankle, Jalen Brunson carried the Knicks against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged a team-best 24.3 points to go with 5.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in their first-round upset of the Cavs.
Against the Miami Heat in the semi-finals, Brunson proved yet again that he was New York's best chance of advancing. On Friday night, he came out sizzling hot, dropping 15 first-quarter points in Game 6. He finished with 22 in the first half, the third time he hit at least 20 in the first 24 minutes in the playoffs.
Jalen Brunson finished with 41 points on 14-22 shooting while the rest of the Knicks combined for 51 points. Julius Randle had 15 on 3-14 shooting, including 1-7 from deep. RJ Barrett had 11 hitting just 1-10 attempts.
With the season on the line, Brunson stepped up big but couldn't get enough support from his teammates.
Jalen Brunson battled all the way to the end
Jalen Brunson played 48 minutes in Game 5. If not for a sizeable lead in the first quarter, he might have played the entire Game 6.
Brunson, though, displayed grit despite the heavy minutes and insane usage rate. The New York Knicks were down 92-86 before a flagrant foul on Gabe Vincent was called after he hit Brunson.
The former Maverick nailed both free throws and then gave Josh Hart another assist to suddenly cut the lead to 92-90. New York held up defensively in the next possession and put the ball in Brunson's hands for a potential game-tying basket.
Jalen Brunson went up against a double-team made up of Jimmy Butler and Max Strus before passing to Julius Randle. The ball was knocked away by Kyle Lowry before Butler all but ended the game with two free throws.
New York will rue their missed chances but they know they have a big-game player in Brunson. They'll be excited to see what they can accomplish next year.
