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New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson 'Needs to Be Better' After Loss to Boston Celtics

Jalen Brunson's struggles are an uncomfortable headline of the New York Knicks season opener against the Boston Celtics.

Jeremy Brener

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The New York Knicks are feeling like one got away after a 108-104 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

New York had a late lead but was unable to pull out the win after Kristaps Porzingis' heroics, as the former Manhattanite had 30 in his Boston debut. Jalen Brunson took the loss particularly hard and the briefest look at the box score made it easy to see why: the Knicks' primary point guard was 6-of-21 from the field, including 3-of-8 from three in defeat 

"I need to be better," Brunson said in the aftermath (h/t SNY). "It comes down to us playing a full 48 minutes. We had a six-minute lead with four minutes left. We just didn't get it done."

To Brunson's point, the Knicks (0-1) trailed by 12 after the first quarter and gradually worked their way back thanks to strong offensive showings from RJ Barret and Immanuel Quickley. New York held a six-point lead with just over four minutes remaining but Boston sealed the deal with a 15-5 run to cap things off.

As he hopes to build upon a brilliant first season in New York, Brunson feels he needs to improve in order for the Knicks to succeed.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) is guarded by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) while trying to make a pass in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) is guarded by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) while trying to make a pass in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

"I hold myself to a higher standard," Brunson said (h/t SNY). "I just have to be better no matter what night it is."

Brunson averaged 24 points per game in his first season with the Knicks on just over 49 percent shooting. New York needs him to play closer to that version than the one that took the floor on Wednesday night. Of course, one night isn't enough to set trends and Brunson has 81 games left to get better. 

The Knicks are back in action with their first road game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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