"It's An Emotional Game": Jalen Brunson Gets Real On Struggles In Game 3 Win Against Pacers
The Knicks pulled off a shocking 20-point comeback against the Pacers after going down 35-55 in the first half. Despite the Knicks' rally back into the game, their superstar Jalen Brunson struggled for most of the game due to foul trouble as well as shooting woes.
The Knicks' leading scorer only played 3 minutes in the final quarter of the game. When asked about seeming frustrated throughout the game until the Knicks rallied back, Brunson did not hold back from the media.
Advertisement
He said, 'It's an emotional game, it's a long game. Things can happen, things can not go your way, and you can easily obviously crash out or you can respond the right way. That's what came to mind, but I got people in my corner, people on this team who believe in me and believe in us. So just the conversations that we have as a team and the encouragement everything we do is important, and especially throughout a 48-minute game.'
While the box score may not show his frustrations on the face of it, as he had 23 points, he shot the ball very inefficiently. He went 6 of 18 from the field (including 1 of 5 from three-point range).
Brunson, widely dubbed as the King of New York was the catalyst in the Knicks' journey up to the Eastern Conference Finals so far. But he's always had faith in the team's "next man up" mentality, so that one person does not face the pressure to produce every single night.
In Game 3, Karl-Anthony Towns took over the pressure from Brunson and carried the Knicks across the finish line down the stretch. Towns finished the game with 24 points, 20 of which came in the fourth quarter.
Where Do The Knicks Go From Here?
The comeback has given the Knicks some glimmer of hope at a time when the series seemed over midway through Game 3. This game has also shown that the Knicks can rely on their depth and don't just have to over-exert their starters like Thibodeau is famous for doing.
Advertisement
After losing their way in the first two games of the series, the Knicks now have a chance to regain home-court advantage in Game 4 with a win. Brunson will need to brush off this forgettable game and move on to the next game with a clean slate in his mind. The Knicks' star averages 29.9 points per game in these Playoffs. He will need to step up and perform even more if they are to have any chance of coming back in this series next game.
Related: Tom Thibodeau Doesn't Take The Full Blame For Benching Josh Hart, Knicks Star Clarifies Role In Major Decision
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Pacers beat Knicks for Eastern Conference title, will face Thunder in 2025 NBA Finals: Live reaction and analysis
The Indiana Pacers, led by 31 points from Pascal Siakam, beat the New York Knicks in Game 6 to close out the Eastern Conference finals at home and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. The Knicks kept the game close until the third quarter, when the Pacers' pressure on both ends began to swing the game. Indiana forced 18 New York turnovers, resulting in 34 points, and scored 25 points in transition. Tyrese Haliburton was quiet until the fourth quarter but scored 11 points late, finishing with 21 points and 14 assists. Indiana's role players stepped up as well. Thomas Bryant scored 11 points on 3-5 shooting, including 2-2 from 3, in 12 minutes while Obi Toppin scored 18 points off the bench, shooting 7-11 from the field. The Pacers did an excellent job on Jalen Brunson, holding him to 19 points on 8-18 shooting with five turnovers. Karl-Anthony Towns, battling through a knee injury, finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby helped New York hang around, scoring 24 points on 10-18 shooting. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for Thursday, June 5th at 8:30 p.m. ET in Oklahoma City. GO FURTHER Pacers head to NBA Finals for first time since 2000, besting Knicks in Game 6
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
FINAL: Pacers return to NBA Finals!
Indiana advances to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, beating New York 125-108 in Game 6 Imagn Images The Indiana Pacers, led by 31 points from Pascal Siakam, beat the New York Knicks in Game 6 to close out the Eastern Conference finals at home and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. The Knicks kept the game close until the third quarter, when the Pacers' pressure on both ends began to swing the game. Indiana forced 18 New York turnovers, resulting in 34 points, and scored 25 points in transition. Tyrese Haliburton was quiet until the fourth quarter but scored 11 points late, finishing with 21 points and 14 assists. Indiana's role players stepped up as well. Thomas Bryant scored 11 points on 3-5 shooting, including 2-2 from 3, in 12 minutes while Obi Toppin scored 18 points off the bench, shooting 7-11 from the field. The Pacers did an excellent job on Jalen Brunson, holding him to 19 points on 8-18 shooting with five turnovers. Karl-Anthony Towns, battling through a knee injury, finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby helped New York hang around, scoring 24 points on 10-18 shooting. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for Thursday, June 5th at 8:30 p.m. ET in Oklahoma City. GO FURTHER Pacers head to NBA Finals for first time since 2000, besting Knicks in Game 6 GO FURTHER 2025 NBA Finals preview: Thunder-Pacers key matchups, X-factors and more Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images FINAL - Pacers 125, Knicks 108 For the first time since 2000, the Pacers are back in the NBA Finals! They'll face the Oklahoma City Thunder as each franchise looks for its first NBA championship* Game 1 is Thursday, and we'll have you covered fully until then with all the biggest storylines from the series here at The Athletic . (*The then-Seattle SuperSonics won in 1979, which is not acknowledged by the Thunder.) Q4 0:47 - Pacers 125, Knicks 105 Now Rick Carlisle removes his starters to a standing ovation from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Getty Images Q4 0:47 - Pacers 125, Knicks 105 One last great Kevin Harlan call on TNT after that Tyrese Haliburton 3: "OHHHH! Haliburton has gone mad!" Getty Images Q4 1:22 - Pacers 122, Knicks 102 I'm just gonna put this out there now while I still can: Pascal Siakam should win Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Getty Images Knicks watching that block by Obi Toppin on OG Anunoby like, "what the heck? you never did that with us" Getty Images Q4 1:52 - Pacers 119, Knicks 99 Tom Thibodeau removes his starters. This game, and this series, is about to be over. Q4 3:40 - Pacers 115, Knicks 97 Obi Toppin thunders down the lane for a dunk against his former team. Tyrese Haliburton is up to 13 assists. Gainbridge Fieldhouse is rocking. The Indiana Pacers are on the verge of the NBA Finals. Andrew Nembhard putting up an all-time playoff line, especially given the assignment on Jalen Brunson: 14 points, 8 assists, ZERO turnovers, six steals, and has made 6-of-12 field goals and 2-of-5 3s. He played (Nemb)hard until the jumper came around. And play he did! With 4:20 left to play, Indiana has outscored the Knicks by 24 points in Nembhard's 34 minutes. Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn Night, night. Knicks gave up on defense once Pascal Siakam got the offensive rebound, easy swing-swing for the dagger Andrew Nembhard 3. Jalen Brunson has only played 32 minutes and yet somehow looks totally gassed. Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Microcosm of the series right there. Pascal Siakam outhustles the tired Knicks for a loose ball, and New York gives up on the play while allowing Andrew Nembhard to stand alone all day for a wide-open 3. Getty Images Q4 4:20 - Pacers 113, Knicks 94 Tyrese Haliburton is cooking the Knicks with his floater. It's a 16-point Pacers lead — and then Andrew Nembhard hits a 3! That may as well have been the dagger. Barring a Knicks miracle that tops what Indiana did to them in Game 1, the Pacers are heading to the NBA Finals. Getty Images And now Mitchell Robinson comes in for Karl-Anthony Towns. I have a feeling we just saw Towns' last minutes of this season. Getty Images TNT keeps criticizing Karl-Anthony Towns for being too far back on the pick-and-roll but he'd be getting fried no matter what coverage he was in. Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn Tyrese Haliburton is eating up Karl-Anthony Towns pick-and-roll coverage and taking the Knicks to float school. Karl-Anthony Towns is not moving well. He barely made it back down the floor on Miles McBride's layup, then didn't get back when Obi Toppin surged to the hole on the ensuing fast break. Nine steals from the Pacers backcourt. Andrew Nembhard can't find his jumper but he's painting his Mona Lisa defensively. Ron Hoskins / NBAE via Getty Images Q4 6:38 - Pacers 104, Knicks 88 The Knicks are not winning these crucial minutes. Instead, Andrew Nembhard is absolutely locking up Jalen Brunson. The Pacers have their biggest lead of the game and are on the verge of going to the NBA Finals! Big stretch coming up for Indiana with Pascal Siakam going to the bench and Aaron Nesmith picking up his fifth foul. This is when the Knicks need to strike. Aaron Nesmith just came up limping after fouling Karl-Anthony Towns. He subbed out and was rubbing his left knee on the bench.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Craig Sager's wife posts touching tribute after NBA on TNT finale
Stacy Sager, the wife of the late broadcasting legend Craig Sager, posted a tribute to her husband while marking the end of an era after the NBA on TNT concluded its run following the Knicks' loss to the Pacers in Game 6 the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night. Stacy Sager, who married Craig in 2003, posted a picture to Instagram of all the mic flags Craig had collected over the course of his career in a tribute and reminder of the storied career Craig had, which included stints at TBS, TNT and CNN. 3 Beloved NBA Broadcaster Craig Sager, known for his outlandish suits, has died aged 65 after a long fought battle with cancer in 2016. Ronald Martinez The photo featured mic flags from various networks and decades, taking up a giant shelf. 'Fairwell (sic) to an epic era on @nbaontnt @tntsportsus Craig was a sentimental collector of all things sports starting with every 'flag mic' from every event he covered for over 30 years of interviewing legends,' Stacy Sager wrote. 'Thank you to the Turner family for all the memories.' Craig Sager is of course remembered best for his time with the 'NBA on TNT' while wearing his beloved flashy suits during broadcasts. He died in 2016 at the age of 65 after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2014. 3 Craig Sager accepts the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance onstage during the 2016 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 13, 2016. Getty Images 3 Stacy Sager is pictured. stacy 'Craig was as vital to the NBA as the players and coaches. A true original and an essential voice on Turner Sports' NBA coverage for 26 seasons, Craig chronicled some of the most memorable moments in league history and was a ubiquitous presence with his splashy suits and equally colorful personality,' NBA commissioner Adam Silver said at the time of his death. Basketball fans enjoyed Sager's tribute online, enthusiastically reacting to the post. 'That is so cool – what a great way to remember Craig and his career,' one person wrote on X. 'That is awesome. He is a legend and is missed,' another wrote. 'Craig was the best man,' a third person chimed in.
