Where Jalen Brunson Ranks in the Pantheon of Clutch New York Athletes

As I was watching Jalen Brunson address the crowd at the Knicks parade, I couldn't help but notice an air of vindication in his words. Yes, he thanked James Dolan and the front office for believing in him; his teammates for giving him the confidence; the coaching staff and trainers; and of course the fans.

But it was what he said in closing that resonated most with the two million or more fans who turned out to watch the parade live and the millions more who tuned in to watch it on TV.

"There's a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say. There's a lot of people who have a lot of opinions. But when you prove them wrong, you really don't have to say shit to them. Nah, they don't deserve it. Appreciate y'all. Thank you."

That's about as close to saying "fuck you" as Brunson is capable of. But if ever there was someone who was entitled to say "fuck you" to his detractors, it would be Brunson. Since his arrival on Broadway, this man has endured every kind of slight imaginable.

One of those slights came at the hands of a certain person whose name I shall not bother to mention here. As Brunson said, she doesn't deserve it. But for those who need a reminder, the incident occurred two years ago. This individual made it a point to say Brunson was too small and was "not a dude," whatever the fuck that means. She then went on to explain that since John Stockton and Allen Iverson didn't win, and they were small, that meant Brunson couldn't win either.

For those who actually know a thing or two about basketball, and who also know what the word context means, allow me to turn back the clock a bit. Stockton was a point guard who played for the Utah Jazz from 1984 to 2003. The Jazz went to two consecutive NBA finals in '97 and '98, where they unfortunately met up with the Chicago Bulls, who just happened to be working on their second three-peat. Stockton and Karl Malone played their hearts out, but they couldn't stop Micheal Jordan and the Bulls. They lost both series 4-2.

Like Stockton, Iverson was a point guard who played for the Philadelphia 76ers from 1996 to 2010. In 2001, the Sixers advanced to the finals, where they met up with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were also in the middle of going for a three-peat. That Lakers team had Shaquille O'Neil and Kobe Bryant on it. The Sixers were valiant but the Lakers were too much for them. They lost 4-1. Ironically, the only game the LA lost that whole postseason was against Philly in the finals.

My point is Stockton and Iverson's size had absolutely nothing to do with them not winning a title. Their teams just happen to lose to two of the most dominant basketball dynasties of the last 30 years. There's no shame in admitting that, nor should there be. If Stockton and Iverson had been four inches taller, the results would've been the same. Iverson, in fact, averaged 33 points per game against the Lakers in that series.

Making general statements about an athlete's size as a bar against winning is the sort of thing trolls on social media do; it's not the sort of thing people who hold responsible positions in the media should do, and whether or not she apologizes, I hope the next time someone is asked to opine on the prospects of a player winning a championship, the reply that follows is an informed one.

Having said all that, I think what Brunson did this postseason ranks him among the top clutch New York athletes of all time. By clutch, I mean coming through in the playoffs. But where does it rank? I decided to compile a top ten list from the last 60 years.

Without further ado,

1. Eli Manning: The man lived in the shadow of his brother Peyton his whole career, yet when it mattered most, he came up big in Super Bowls 42 and 46, earning not only MVP in both games, but the distinction of being the only quarterback in NFL history to beat Tom Brady twice in the Super Bowl. His postseason passer rating in 2011 was 103.3, and he led the NFL in passing yards with 1219 and touchdowns with 9.

2. Mark Messier: He had one mission when he came to Broadway: end the curse of 1940. His "guarantee" and subsequent hat trick in game 6 of the '94 conference finals stands as one of the most iconic moments in Rangers history, and his game-winning goal against the Canucks in game 7 of the finals delivered New York its first Stanley Cup in 54 years.

3. Jalen Brunson: The player who was too small, too slow and not a number one option, tied Micheal Jordan for most points in a road close-out finals game. Captain Clutch's overall performance in the finals is the singular reason the Knicks were able to end their 53 year drought. The man not only deserves his flowers; he deserves a whole damn florist. 

4. Walt Frazier: When Willis Reed got injured in game five of the 1970 NBA finals, the Knicks needed someone to step up and take charge. That someone was Clyde. His 36 points and 19 assists in game 7 enabled New York to win the first of its two titles in the '70s.

5. Reggie Jackson: Mr. October was no stranger to winning in the postseason. He was an integral part of that Oakland A's team that won three consecutive World Series. But it was his performance in game 6 of the '77 World Series that forever cemented his place in New York folklore. His three home runs against the Dodgers helped the Yankees clinch their first title since 1962. 

6. Joe Namath: In the late 1960s, everyone knew the NFL was the dominant league. The Green Bay Packers had routed the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in Super Bowls 1 and 2, and now the Baltimore Colts were preparing to do the same to the Jets in Super Bowl 3. But Broadway Joe had other plans. He not only guaranteed his team would win, he went out and proved it. In what is still considered to this day the greatest upset in sports history, New York shocked Baltimore 16-7. The win not only made Namath a household name, it put the AFL on the map. One year later, the two leagues merged.

7. Mariano Rivera: Without question, the greatest closer in baseball history. He's the career leader in postseason saves (42), ERA (0.70) and WHIP (0.75). How impressive was Rivera? His ERA in the Yankees '98 and '99 playoff runs was 0.00 in 18 appearances. Indeed, from 1996 through 2000, he allowed just two earned runs in 56 innings. If there's such a thing as an automatic out, it was Rivera. 

8. Lawrence Taylor: From 1981 to 1993, the most feared defensive player in the NFL. He gave offensive coordinators fits and opposing quarterbacks nightmares. LT helped lead the Giants to two Super Bowl wins in '86 and '90, and turned Bill Belichick into a legend. 

9. Derek Jeter: In 7 World Series, Jeter had a batting average of .321, with an OPS of .832. Overall in the postseason, he hit .308 with 20 homers and 61 RBIs. During his Yankee career, which lasted 20 years, he finished 6th in team RBIs (1311) and 8th in team batting average (.310). He was the most consistent clutch player to wear the Pinstripes since Mickey Mantle. 

10. Brian Leetch: The 1994 Conn-Smyth winner led the Rangers with 34 points during their Cup run. The Calder and two-time Norris trophy winner was a fixture on New York's blue line until he was traded to the Maple Leafs in 2004. He's second for most points by American-born defensemen with 1028, 204 behind Phil Housley. 

At Last!

"For the rest of your life, men, nobody can ever tell you that you couldn't do it because you did it."

Bill Parcells, after the Giants won Super Bowl 21

The New York Knicks are the 2026 NBA champions!

I still can't believe it. I felt the same way when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994. That's what 53 years of failures can do to you. It can make you doubt what your own eyes and ears are telling you.

Even as the final seconds were ticking off, I still thought that something was going to happen that would ruin this moment. Wembanyama would be fouled as he hit a three pointer, he would then convert the free throw to send the game into overtime, where the Spurs would win and force a game 6. The Knicks would lose that game at the Garden and then lose game 7 back in San Antonio.

Another failure in a long list of failures.

Except that didn't happen. Wemby missed his three-pointer, OG Anunoby grabbed the rebound with one second left and threw the ball up into the air in celebration. The Knicks held on to win 94-90 to wrap up the series in five. Mike Breen summed it up best as the final buzzer sounded:

"IT'S OVER, KNICK FANS! THIS IS NOT A DREAM! YOUR LONG, LONG WAIT HAS ENDED! GO AHEAD AND CRY!"

And cry I did; like a baby. Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks. All those years of disappointment and heartache came pouring out at once. I have a feeling I wasn't alone.

For all the players who have come and gone since the last championship - Bob McAdoo, Ray Williams, Michael Ray Richardson, Bill Cartwright, Campy Russell, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, Stephon Marbury, Jeremy Lin, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, R.J. Barrett, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and all those I missed - this one's for you, too.

It wasn't easy. Like they had done in the previous four games, the men in orange and blue fell behind by double-digits in game five. For the series, New York was -57 in the first quarter, but +69 in the other three. That was the story of this final. The Knicks got stronger as the games wore on while the Spurs sputtered. The poise and resilience of the Knicks propelled them to victory while the immaturity and inexperience of the Spurs proved to be their undoing.

This was an historic run. The Knicks went 16-3 in the postseason, 9-1 on the road. The three losses were by a total of six points. Their overall point differential of 283 was 53 points higher than the 2017 Golden State Warriors: the team generally acknowledged as the best of all time. All four of their close out games came on the road. The 22 point comeback against the Cavs in game one of the Eastern Conference finals was surpassed only by their historic 29 point comeback against the Spurs in game four of the finals. Anyone who believes for a moment that this team did not earn its title doesn't know a damn thing about basketball.

The Finals MVP was, by unanimous vote, Jalen Brunson. On a night where the rest of his teammates didn't have it, the Captain dragged them across the finish line. His 45 points is tied with Michael Jordan for third most in a title-clinching game. He averaged 32.6 points per game in the finals, 28.4 overall in the playoffs. If there were any doubts that he was the best free-agent signing in NBA history they were put to bed in this series. His decision to leave $113 million on the table when he signed his latest contract is the reason this franchise ended its 53 year drought. It's no coincidence that after being slammed to the court by Wembanyama in game three, Brunson had his two best shooting performances in games four and five. The Russians were right: revenge is a dish best served cold. Not only is Brunson a "dude," he is, without question, the best clutch player in all of basketball.

But as great as Brunson was, he didn't do it all by himself; he had some help. OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart each contributed in their own way to the cause. Anunoby was making a case to be Finals MVP before Brunson dropped 45 in the clincher; Towns owned Wembanyama early in the series; Bridges made people forget about those draft picks; and Hart was pretty much a thorn in the side of San Antonio most of the series.

And now we come to the architect of this championship team. I think it's safe to say that Leon Rose was, without question, the best hire James Dolan has ever made as owner of this franchise. In addition to clearing out dead cap space, Rose methodically assembled one of the best rosters in the NBA. He hired Tom Thibodeau, signed Jalen Brunson, traded for Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. And when he realized the Knicks had reached their ceiling with Thibodeau, he replaced him with Mike Brown. The only player he inherited that's still with the team is Mitchell Robinson.

Though Brown unleashed their potential, the toughness and resiliency that has come to define this group over the years came from Thibs. How else can you explain how this team was able to come back from 20 down multiple times over the past two postseasons? Any other team would've folded like a cheap tent. Not this one.

Even when they were going through that rough patch in January, the Knicks never wavered as a team. When they dropped games two and three against Atlanta and the season was hanging by a thread, they never lost their faith in one another. They knew they were up for the challenge and they proved it by winning 13 in a row and 15 of their last 16.

That's what makes them so beloved by their fans: that never say die attitude. Admit it: when they were down 10 early in the fourth, you knew they were going to pull it out, didn't you? So did the Spurs, I'm guessing.

And now this incredible season is over. The New York Knicks are the 2026 NBA champions. No one can ever take that away from them.

All that's left is the parade down the Canyon of Heroes Thursday morning. I was there when the Rangers had their parade in '94, and I will be there when the Knicks have theirs, along with about 3 to 5 million screaming and grateful fans.

They say all good things come to those who wait. To paraphrase the great Sam Rosen, Knicks fans have waited a lifetime for this moment. It's finally here.

The Better Team Wins

You know how you can tell which is the better team? It wins, that's how. Trust me, I have a lot of experience rooting for teams that have lost to better ones.

In 1973, the Mets lost to the A's in the World Series. Both teams were good; the A's were better.

In 1994, the Knicks lost to the Rockets in the NBA finals. Both team were good; the Rockets were better. 

In 2001, the Giants lost to the Ravens in Super Bowl 35. Both teams were good; the Ravens were better.

In 2014, the Rangers lost to the Kings in the Stanley Cup finals. Both teams were good; the Kings were better.

In 2015, the Mets lost to the Royals in the World Series. Again both teams were good; the Royals were better.

So far in the 2026 NBA finals, a lot of people have tied themselves up in knots coming up with reasons for why the Knicks couldn't possibly be the better team in this series. They point out that over the first four games, the Spurs have led for a total of 133 minutes while the Knicks have led for only 52 minutes, ergo the Spurs are better. Percentage of time led in basketball is about as meaningless as time of possession is in football. Many teams have won the time of possession while losing the game. It happens more than you think. Last time I checked, the only score that mattered was the final score.

Look, have the Spurs gotten off to good starts in these finals? Most definitely, yes. San Antonio has led at the end of all four first quarters. In fact, they've held double-digit leads in every game of this series. But as good as they've been in the first quarter, the Knicks have been better in the other three. New York is a collective -47 in the first quarter, but in quarters two, three and four, they're +24, +16 and +15 respectively. The 29-point lead the Spurs blew in the second half of game four represents the largest blown lead ever in an NBA final. That singular distinction belongs to them, not the Knicks.

This postseason, the Knicks have played better on the road than they have at Madison Square Garden. They're +171 away vs +108 at home. All three closeout games have occurred in the visitors arena, not one has been remotely close. Clearly, living out of a suitcase has not been a problem for this team.

The Knicks have the best player in this final; the best clutch player in all of basketball. They might even have the second best player. That is not a knock on the Spurs; it's just a fact based on everything we've observed from watching both these teams in the closing minutes. With the exception of game three, the Knicks have been the more composed, more poised and more mature team on the court. Their best players have simply been better than the Spurs best players, and Mike Brown has out-coached his counterpart Mitch Johnson.

Ask yourself this question. Who would rather have when the game is on the line: Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns or De'Aaron Fox, Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama? That was meant as a rhetorical question, by the way. I wasn't looking for an answer.

I don't know why this is so hard for some people to comprehend. The Knicks are not leading 3-1 because they've been lucky or because they had an easy path to the finals or even because the basketball gods are finally smiling on them. They're leading because they've been the better team.

Is it possible that the Spurs can come back and win this series? Of course it is. And if they do, guess what? They will be the better team.  But I sincerely doubt that will happen. I think this series ends tonight with the better team hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy.

That's how this works; it's how it's always worked. There are no participation trophies when it comes to sports. There are just winners and losers. The winners get to celebrate with their teammates on a podium and receive a ring; the losers get to go home empty handed. 

Sorry if that ruins your narrative, but then I've never been very good at drawing narratives. Besides, I'm a Rangers fan. Who knows more about losing to a better team than us?

History

"Little roller up along first. Behind the bag, it gets through Buckner. Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!"

- Vince Scully, bottom of the 10th, Game 6, 1986 World Series

I will never forget the range of emotions I felt during that 10th inning in October of '86. The Mets were one pitch away from losing the World Series and I and my friends were despondent. Minutes later, I went from despondent to elated. Mookie Wilson had saved the season. There would be a game seven at Shea Stadium, after all, and the Mets would win it.

To be clear, last night's game at Madison Square Garden was not an elimination game for the New York Knicks. Had they lost, the finals would've been tied at two with game five in San Antonio Saturday night. But the stakes were no less high. A loss would've given the Spurs home court with the prospects of this promising postseason ending up like all the others: in bitter frustration. 

And for the first 24 minutes it certainly looked that way. Unlike game three - which was close throughout - game four was turning into a rout. The Knicks seemed about as interested in playing a basketball game as I was taking calculus in college. Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two fouls in the first minute of play; the latter courtesy of a terrible call on a challenge by Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. Jalen Brunson resumed his ISO ball which resulted in his teammates standing around like statues. And the vaunted New York defense, which had come to define this playoff run, was nowhere to be seen. San Antonio led 41-22 after one and 76-49 at halftime. 

The Spurs shot 28-47 (59.6%) from the field and 14-26 (53.8%) from three in the first half, while the Knicks shot 15-37 (40.5%) and 4-12 (33.3%) respectively. The Spurs also had more assists than the Knicks: 18 to 7. The Garden resembled more a mausoleum than a sports arena. Spike Lee looked like he was going to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge.

But then in the second half New York finally woke up. They started playing defense and began to move the ball around. The Knicks had 16 assists in the half, as they outscored the Spurs 58-30 to win the game 107-106 and take a 3-1 series lead back to San Antonio.

The turning point came with 9:27 to go in the third quarter. The Spurs were up 81-52 when Victor Wembanyama was hit with a flagrant foul 1 for elbowing Towns. KAT converted both free throws and the Knicks never looked back. They narrowed the gap to 90-75 going into the fourth and took their first lead of the game with 1:22 left in regulation. The Garden, which had been quiet most of the night, erupted. Mariska Hargitay and Taylor Swift were dancing in the aisles. Larry David was actually caught smiling.

While Brunson had 17 points in the half - 36 for the game - it was OG Anunoby who was the main hero. His block on De'Aaron Fox's layup with 11 seconds to go and his rebound shot with 1.2 seconds left to put his team up for good is the reason New York is one win away from its first championship in 53 years. Anunoby is also one of only five players in NBA finals history to score 30 or more points and the go-ahead field goal in the last three seconds of the game. The other four are Jerry West (1962), Kareem Abdul Jabbar (1974), Hakeem Olajuwon (1995) and Michael Jordan (1997).

Another unsung hero was Jose Alvarado. Mike Brown elected to put him and Brunson together in the backcourt to start the fourth. Alvarado scored 8 points and 3 assists in the quarter. Together, the pair was a plus 21 in 12 minutes. It was a brilliant move by the Knicks coach.

This was the third time in this series that the Knicks successfully overcame a double-digit deficit to win a game. They trailed by 14 points in game one, 12 in game two and 29 in game four; the latter an NBA record for a finals game. The previous record was held by the Celtics who overcame a 24-point deficit against the Lakers in 2008.

After shooting the lights out in the first half, the Spurs went ice cold in the second. They were 8-39 (20.5%) in the field and 3-17 (17.6%) from three. While the Knicks D had a lot to do with that, San Antonio helped them out with their decision making with the ball. For some reason, the Spurs attempted eight consecutive three-pointers up by 20 to 25 points, converting on only one. On twelve separate possessions they shot the ball with more than 10 seconds remaining on the shot clock. This "strategy" was eerily similar to the one the Celtics employed last year against the Knicks. The result was consecutive blown leads in games one and two and an eventual series defeat.

The number one offender for the Spurs was Fox. He had four turnovers in the second half, one of which was a backcourt violation. His decision to go for a layup in the closing seconds with this team up by one rather than dribble it out and let the Knicks foul him was inexplicable. Seconds after Anunoby blocked his shot, he scored the winning bucket. The two things you must do when you have a big lead is to use the clock to your advantage and don't turn the ball over. The Spurs did neither and it gave the Knicks the opening they needed to eventually win the game.

So now the Knicks have a chance to close out this series and put the Spurs out of their misery. They have yet to play a full 48 minutes in any of these games. Indeed, you could make the case that had it not been for San Antonio's ineptitude, New York might very well be trailing 3-1 instead of leading 3-1.

But that's water over the dam. Regardless of how they got here, the Knicks are one win away from winning their first championship since 1973. If they are smart they will take care of business Saturday night.

About the Officiating

Normally I don't like to talk about the officiating in games. While I don't have any data to support this, it's my belief that, with few exceptions, the officials don't impact the game. In the end, the players have more to say about the outcome than anyone wearing a striped shirt.

That being said, we need to talk about the officiating in this series. It's been terrible.

In game two, Tony Brothers clearly missed a foul committed by Julian Champagnie on an OG Aununoby three-point attempt. The original call was out of bounds and San Antonio ball. Mike Brown called a timeout to challenge the call. After reviewing the play, the call was reversed and Anunoby was awarded three foul shots, which he converted.

At the time the score was tied at 97 with 2:37 left in the fourth quarter. The Knicks won the game by a single point, 105-104. If Brown did not have a challenge available, the Knicks might very well have lost that game and would currently be trailing 2-1 in this best of seven series.

In game three, the Spurs had 10 more free throw attempts than the Knicks. In the second half alone, they were 20-24 from the free throw line compared to 6-8 for the Knicks. The primary reason for this discrepancy was that New York was in the penalty within the first four minutes of each quarter. Fouls that the refs were letting go in the first half, they started calling in the second. Players pretty much all agree that the thing they want most from the officials is consistency. If something isn't a foul in the first half, it shouldn't be a foul in the second. 

Speaking of the first half, the Knicks were rightly upset that Victor Wembanyama was not called for a foul when he threw Jalen Brunson to the court in the first quarter. The NBA reviewed the non-call the following day and determined that it did not rise to the level of a flagrant foul 1. What was so frustrating about the play is that it happened with the Knicks in possession. Landry Shamet, the ball handler, was literally standing five feet away from where the foul occurred. It is inconceivable that not one official saw what happened. Wemby was seen smirking almost immediately after the incident.

Mike Brown was also perturbed about the non-call. Borrowing a page out of Rick Carlisle's playbook, he used his postgame presser to let everyone know where he stood. It was an unusual move for Brown who typically focuses on how well his players execute on the court. Given the circumstances, one could hardly blame him. It was clear from the opening tip-off that the Spurs were trying to intimidate the Knicks. 

Look, I don't want to beat this like a dead horse, but these are the sorts of things that can leave a bad taste in fans mouths. It feeds a narrative that there are two kinds of rules in sports: one for the stars and one for everyone else. Don't believe me? Ask yourself this question: if Mitchell Robinson had thrown Stephon Castle to the court, what would've happened to him? I'll lay odds that he would've gotten a foul which would've been reviewed for a flagrant 1.

In the end, the Knicks did not lose game three because of lousy officiating; they lost it because, as I wrote in my previous piece, they reverted back to old habits. They can control that. What they can't control are the actions of the three men whose job it is to make sure that the rules are evenly enforced. Physical play is one thing; but intimidation like what we saw is another. 

I've been watching the NHL since the 1970s. I've seen all kinds of shit masquerading as hockey. The NBA went through a similar period in the late '80s and early '90s. Fortunately, it cleaned it up. The last thing any fan of the sport wants to see is a return to the "anything goes" days. After this series is over, Adam Silver would do well to meet with his people and set down some guidelines on how fouls are enforced. Either the rules apply to everyone or they apply to no one.

Some stars might squawk about it, but in the end, the integrity of the game is the only thing that matters.

Hold the Parade

"With the 5th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Arvell Reese, linebacker, Ohio State."  - April 23, 2026.

It's hard to believe that the last time the New York Knicks lost a playoff game, John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen were high-fiving each other because the player they had at the top of their board fell into their laps at five. That was six and a half weeks ago.

God when you say it like that, it almost seems surreal.

Through the first half of game three, things were going pretty much according to script. The Spurs jumped out to an early double-digit lead, only to have the Knicks either close the gap or take the lead outright. At halftime, New York led 64-57, outscoring San Antonio 42-24 in the second quarter on 73.7 percent shooting. It was the most points ever scored by a Knicks team in a quarter in a finals game. The Garden faithful had visions of a four-game sweep; some, I suppose, were even planning where they would camp out on the parade route. 

But then the script flipped in the second half. The Spurs, aided by what seemed like an avalanche of calls in their favor, went to the free throw line 24 times to the Knicks 8. That discrepancy allowed them to regain the lead by the end of the third quarter; a lead they would never relinquish. The final score was 115-111. 

So much for a sweep. We now have a series on our hands; one in which the Knicks are still the favorites, but barely. 

So how did the Spurs end the Knicks 13 game win streak?

It wasn't so much what the Spurs did but what the Knicks didn't do. I wrote after game two that to win this series, New York was going to have to do three things: 1. Stop falling behind; 2. Get Jalen Brunson off the ball; and 3. Run the offense through Karl-Anthony Towns. They were 0-3.

It's one thing to know you're capable of coming from behind - and, let's face it, over the last two postseasons, the Knicks have become experts at it - it's quite another to a make a habit out of it. Teams that trail that much end up expending far too much energy chasing the game. As anyone who's ever watched a basketball or hockey game will tell you, it's easier to play with the lead than it is to play from behind. The Knicks have got to stop making it hard on themselves.

It was obvious from the start of the finals that San Antonio was going to target Brunson. That isn't James Harden out there. The Spurs guards know how to defend, and they've been on Brunson like white on rice. But rather than give up the ball, Captain Clutch has been forcing up difficult shots, many of which have not gone in. For the series, Brunson is 30-81 (37%). He's averaging 27 shots per game. According to StatMuse, the Knicks were 33-8 during the regular season when Brunson took 20 shots or fewer per game. By going ISO as much as he has, Brunson has unintentionally made his team easier to guard. It's no coincidence that the Knicks only had 18 assists in the game. During the regular season, they were 43-11 when they had 25 or more assists. The low assist total might account for why Mikal Bridges only had two points, his lowest point total since game three of the Atlanta series. 

Over the first two games, Towns played an integral role in the Knicks offense. So effective was he in distributing the ball and driving to the net that he was the front runner for finals MVP. Last night, he went 4-10 - 0-2 from three - for 11 points and had only 8 rebounds. Worse, he has not scored a single point in the fourth quarter in these finals. That is simply inexcusable. KAT owned Victor Wembanyama over the first two games. By not getting him the ball, Wemby went wild in game three, scoring a series high 32 points. The Knicks need to get back to what worked so well for them in the previous three rounds.

The good news? Even with the disparity on foul shots (84-61 in the series), the low assists total and Brunson's ball hogging, the Knicks lost by only four points. Overall, the shooting percentages of both teams were about equal. New York even had a slight edge in scoring in the paint and rebounds. In what was a must win for the Spurs, they hardly dominated.

The bad news? The Knicks may come away from this loss believing that all they have to do is tweak a few things and they'll be all right. That would be disastrous. What last night's loss revealed was that the Knicks have fallen back into some old habits; old habits that led to them trailing the Hawks 2-1 in the first round. They did not sweep the Sixers and the Cavs playing like this and they will most certainly not beat the Spurs playing this way. They need to snap out of it, and fast, or this series will be tied Wednesday night.

And if that happens, it is unlikely that the Spurs will lose three games in a row in their building. Meaning the Knicks could well be facing elimination in game six. If you think the mood at the Garden was sullen after last night's loss, just think what'll be like if the Knicks become the first team in NBA history to blow a finals after taking the first two games on the road.

That cannot be allowed to happen, and it won't happen as long as the proper adjustments are made. I said at the beginning of the series that the Knicks are the better team. I still believe that's true, but that presupposes that they play up to their potential. Apart from the second quarter, they did not do that last night. They must do it Wednesday night, and for a full 48 minutes.

There will be no excuses if they don't.

A Bakers Dozen

Admit it: When you saw Victor Wembanyama take that shot with 2 seconds left you had flashbacks of Tyrese Haliburton's game-tying shot from last year's Eastern Conference finals. Being a Knicks fan means learning how to deal with PTSD. It doesn't take much to ruin our day or night. And just so we're clear, even with Mitchell Robinson guarding him, Wemby probably makes that shot 9 out of 10 times. 

But there's something different about these Knicks. After blowing a 97-83 lead with 6:04 remaining in the fourth quarter, and trailing 104-102 with 57 seconds left, they found a way to win. Jalen Brunson, the hero of game one, once again came to the rescue. He scored the game's final three points, the last one a free throw after he stole a bad pass from Wemby and was fouled with 9.5 seconds to go. 

The Knicks have now won 13 playoff games in a row; two shy of the record set by the Golden State Warriors in 2017. They are, as Brian Windhorst said after the game, "a freakin' winning machine." I've heard of resiliency, but this is ridiculous.

Despite the final score, though, this was a game in which the Knicks pretty much dominated from the second quarter on. After trailing 34-25 at the end of the first quarter, New York took a 56-52 lead into the locker room at half time. They expanded that lead to 84-75 after three. And they were cruising to yet another double-digit road win before the Spurs went on their run.

But while Brunson may have dragged his team across the finish line, he was not the star of the game. That distinction belonged to Karl-Anthony Towns, who in these first two games, has thoroughly outplayed Wembanyama. KAT scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. As of right now, he has the inside track to be finals MVP. 

Mikal Bridges also had an impressive game. After being held to 9 points in game one, he scored 20 in game two. OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet had 17 and 13 points respectively. The only starter that did not have a good game was Josh Hart. After impressive game one, he got into early foul trouble in game two, was limited to only 18 minutes and was a minus 3.

So now the Knicks return home to Madison Square Garden up 2-0; the first time in franchise history that they've won the first two games of a finals. No team in NBA history has successfully come back to win the championship after dropping the first two games at home, and the way this Knicks team is playing, I doubt the Spurs are going to be the first team to do it.

It's not that the Spurs are a bad team; far from it. They are the best team New York has faced in these playoffs. They led the Knicks late in the fourth quarter of both games. The case could easily be made that San Antonio could be up 2-0 instead of down 0-2.

But the fact remains that they are down 0-2, and it is up to the Knicks to make sure it becomes 0-3 and not 1-2 Monday night. This is not the time to take the foot off the gas, not with a chance to close out the series in their building.

So what is the best way to insure that? 

Well, for starters, it would behoove New York to get off to a faster start. They trailed after the first quarter in games one and two. The Knicks are playing with fire if they think they can continually come from behind in this series. Sooner or later, it will catch up with them.

Next, it is all too apparent that the Spurs are targeting Brunson in this series. In the first two games, he shot a collective 19-56 from the field. The only thing that has saved the Knicks is their depth. Mike Brown simply has more players on his bench that he can turn to than Mitch Johnson. But Brunson has to realize that when he gets double teamed, he needs to give up the ball. Earlier in the playoffs, the Knicks were very successful running their offense through KAT. It's time to go back to that formula.

And speaking of KAT, he needs to continue dominating Wemby, both at the perimeter and in the post. Aside from the fourth quarter in game two, the "Alien" has looked lost in this series. Towns has to make sure it stays that way. 

Throughout this postseason, the Knicks have been a marvel to behold. Their talent, poise and maturity have led them this far. They need two more wins to secure their first title since 1973. 

This is their moment; they need to grab it.