On the 54th anniversary of Willis Reed limping out of the MSG tunnel and playing in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Lakers, Jalen Brunson came out of the locker room tunnel to add to his mounting legend status with chants of “MVP” at the Garden.
Brunson, dealing with a sore right foot, delivered and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau acknowledged his superstar guard’s herculean effort.
"We didn't know if he was going to be able to go or not. He found a way to get it done," Thibodeau spoke after Brunson’s gutsy effort in helping New York to a Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers.
"The mental toughness piece is so important... to be at your best when your best is needed even when you may not be feeling your best."
— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2024
Coach Thibs on Jalen Brunson overcoming his 1H injury 🙌#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/nuhJ8SGC3N
Brunson left the opening frame with an apparent right foot injury and did not return until the second half of the game.
Jalen Brunson appeared to suffer an injury on this play midway through the first quarter.
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 9, 2024
He left the game with 3:32 in the opening period, went back to the locker room, and has not returned yet for Knicks-Pacers Game 2.pic.twitter.com/dHwL2X7WoF
The former All-Star then erupted for 24 of his 29 points in the second half alone as New York seized a 2-0 lead over Indiana in their East semifinal series.
[ALSO READ: Brunson bucks injury to lift Knicks past Pacers for 2-0 series lead]
"The mental toughness piece is so important... to be at your best when your best is needed even when you may not be feeling your best, that’s who he is. A great leader.”
“The best part of Jalen is his humility. We could all talk about the great things he’s been doing and it’s remarkable, but to be as humble as he is, he’s on top of that. I think that’s what makes him so special,” coach Thibs added.
The two-time NBA Coach of the Year admitted he had no idea if Brunson would return to the game, but knew the kind of player he is: “Jalen never asked out in a game so I knew there was something.
"When he doesn't come back, you wait on the medical on what they say. But I know if he can go, he’s going to go. That’s who he is.”
Finally, Thibodeau acknowledged his squad’s level of play needs to be better whenever their All-Star guard is off the floor. New York was outscored by Indiana 37-27, in the second quarter of Game 2 when Brunson was out.
"Obviously, we got to do better. We can't feel too good. We know we're going to have to be a lot better when we go to Indianapolis."
Game 3 will be on May 11, Saturday, 7 a.m. LIVE on NBA TV Philippines and the Pilipinas Live app.
