Paul Pierce Apologizes to Knicks, Jalen Brunson

The New York Knicks' first round win has appeared to have won over former rival Paul Pierce.

February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Paul Pierce is honored for being selected to the / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Pierce has appeared to have learned The Truth about Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.

Consider Pierce a believer after Brunson guided the Knicks to a six-game victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Brunson scored at least 39 points in each of the final four games, including a franchise record 47 in the Game 4 victory at Wells Fargo Center last weekend.

Pierce, a longtime metropolitan nemesis as a member of the Boston Celtics, originally doubted the Knicks but graciously accepted an order of humble pie of Friday's edition of Fox Sports' "Undisputed."

“First off, I like to say sorry to the Knicks and Jalen Brunson because I’ve shown them no respect,” Pierce said. "When I looked at the series before it started, I thought Philadelphia just had too much manpower for the short-handed Knicks ... “Did I know that Jalen Brunson was going to play well? I thought he would play well. I didn’t know he was going to play this well.”

May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

With one game left on the opening round docket (Sunday's Game 7 between Cleveland and Orlando), Brunson is the leading scorer among all playoff participants at 35.5 a game. That average is the second-best in any Knicks playoff series, behind only Bernard King's work in the 1984 opening round against Detroit.

Brunson barbs have often centered on the idea that a player of his stature (6-2, 190 lbs.) can't be the headliner of a championship run. But Pierce knows that size matters not come the postseason and compared Brunson's ongoing success to a former green successor.

“Just when you just didn’t think a little guy at his stature can do it, he’s continued to do it,” Pierce continued. “So they’re going to ride his coattails. He reminds me of when Isaiah Thomas was in Boston. Remember that ride he had? They rode that to the Eastern Conference Finals and he just put on the show. A short guy you just didn’t believe. Lefty, same thing. It reminded me of that.”

Jan 18, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) drives the ball against New / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The 5-9 Thomas was the headliner of a Celtics group that took the top seed in the East during the 2016-17 season. Many doubted such an approach but Thomas guided the Celtics to the conference finals before a hip injury sidelined him for most of that series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though injuries have prevented Thomas from reaping in the lasting benefits, his efforts kickstarted a run where Boston has reached at least the conference final round in five of the past seven seasons.

"A guy like Jalen Brunson who’s had a great year, phenomenal year should be on the All-NBA First Team, arguably," Pierce said, also praising Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau for his work in the face of several major injuries. "Jalen Brunson is probably the most dominant player, he’s the best player in the playoffs right now. I mean not the best player but he’s playing the best.”

Brunson will get a chance to continue his Thomas-esque run on Monday when the Knicks open the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

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