Which Knicks Playoff Moment Is Jalen Brunson Bringing?

Jalen Brunson is carrying an unexpected moment from the 2023 playoffs as the New York Knicks prepare to embark on a championship trek.

May 12, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) call out a play as Miami / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Former Villanova Wildcat Jalen Brunson hasn't hesitated to sink his claws into the NBA playoffs with the New York Knicks.

Ahead of his next chance at a championship and his second playoff run with the Knicks, Brunson penned an open letter on The Players' Tribune, where he reflected on his metropolitan journey to date. The latter posted just over 48 hours before the Knicks open the postseason against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday evening at Madison Square Garden.

Brunson began his letter marveling "how much can change in one year." It feels like ancient history considering how much has transpired since then, but Brunson offered New York its most potent form of postseason momentum this time last year: the point guard's efforts headlined the Knicks' first playoff series victory in a decade, as he helped close the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games during the opening round of the tournament. The Knicks woud fall to eventual NBA finalist Miami in six games in part two, but that was hardly Brunson's fault, as he averaged 31 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.5 rebounds in the six-game defeat.

Yet, amidst 11 exhilarating playoff games that made up his maiden metropolitan postseason voyage, Brunson is carrying one of his rare shortcomings with him as the Knicks prepare for what could be a lucrative spring/summer.

May 12, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket as / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

"One thing about last year that has stuck with me, is this moment in Game 6 in Miami, when I turned the ball over at a crucial possession of the game," Brunson wrote. "Even with all the positives of last season, it’s the moments like that that you remember forever, because you had the opportunity, and you let it slip away. I can still picture it in my mind."

Despite his fellow starters shooting a combined 15.6 percent from the floor in what became their season finale, Brunson's 41-point performance offered hope at an extension. But a bad pass in the final minute, which came with Miami clinging to a two-point lead, landed in the arms of current 76er Kyle Lowry with 16 seconds remaining. Brunson was forced to foul and Jimmy Butler made two free throws that gave South Beach a permanent two-possession lead and denied the Knicks a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

"As we lock in, one thing I’m focused on is attention to detail. That’s the message in our locker room," Brunson said. "Having the mindset that every little thing matters. I know it seems like something very cliché to say, but when you’re in the playoffs, one possession, a mental error, the tiniest mistake, can cost you."

Pivotal playoff moments and landmarks have defined Brunson's career to date: the point guard earned two collegiate national championships alongside fellow Knick Donte DiVincenzo at Villanova (getting the first with another, Josh Hart, in tow) and later burst onto the national professional conversation by taking over the Dallas Mavericks' early postseason affairs in 2022 when franchise face Luka Doncic was injured.

Brunson's career-best efforts have built what likely stands as the Knicks' most legitimate championship case in quite some time: New York won 50 games and leaped to the second seed on the Eastern Conference bracket, accomplishing both tasks for the first time since the aforementioned 2012-13 campaign.

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