Jalen Brunson has led the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals for the first time since the 1998-99 season. It was only fitting that he would be the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
The veteran point guard won the award following Monday’s 130-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4, completing the sweep.
For the series Brunson averaged 25.5 points and 7.7 assists in the series. His 38 points in Game 1 helped the Knicks erase a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter and win in overtime. His 19 points and 14 assists in Game 2 helped lead the Knicks to a 16-point win, while his 30 points led the way in Game 3.
Game 4 was very much a team effort, with six players scoring double-digit points. But Brunson is very much the fulcrum of this Knicks’ team, and he’ll very much be the primary concern of either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
The pressure on these Knicks remains high. The organization hasn’t won a title since the 1972-73 season, 53 years ago. Half a century is a long time for the basketball-crazed city of New York to go without a title in hoops.
But the Knicks are scalding hot at the moment, reeling off 11 straight wins in these playoffs (and 12 wins in 14 total contests).
The Thunder and Spurs were the two best teams in the NBA this season, so it won’t be an easy task. But the Knicks are playing at an extremely high level right now, led by Brunson, their backcourt maestro.
