Brunson breaks out with 39 points, thanks to mom–or Towns
NEW YORK—After Jalen Brunson’s breakout game in these playoffs, the question was who deserved the credit for his play.
Maybe, according to one suggestion, it was his mom. Maybe it was Karl-Anthony Towns—though he himself wasn’t sure about that one.
Whatever the reason, Brunson scored 39 points on Tuesday night, leading the Knicks to a 126-97 victory over the Atlanta Hawks for a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.
Brunson averaged 25.5 points in the first four games but shot only 41.6 percent from the field. He definitely seemed to be enjoying himself while scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, but he said that was because of his team’s play, not his own.
“The ball went in, but I was just happy that we were able to keep the lead and play well with it,” Brunson said.
Players have described the frustration of guarding the 6-foot-2 Brunson because he always plays at his own pace and finds ways with his footwork to make shots even when the defenders seemed to be in the right position.
That also allows Brunson to keep calm even when the shot clock is winding down. Coach Mike Brown was asked afterward about where Brunson developed that skill.
“It comes from his mom. His mom, she’s got a lot of patience and a real sharp lady,” said Brown.
Towns had six more assists on Tuesday after finishing with 10 in the Knicks’ Game 4 victory, when he had his first career postseason triple-double. The Knicks have made an effort to allow their All-Star center to initiate offense with his passing.
Could that be what freed up Brunson, who had games of 9 for 22 and 10 for 26 earlier in the series?
“I mean, he’s one of the best point guards and players in the NBA, so I don’t know if I was the reason for that,” Towns said with a laugh.
