The Madison Square Garden crowd rose to its feet as Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson had the ball in his hands with less than 90 seconds remaining and his team down three. Brunson, a candidate for All-NBA honors this season, has consistently delivered in clutch situations for the Knicks.
However, on this night, Brunson failed to convert. He passed the ball to Josh Hart, who missed a wide-open three-pointer. Philadelphia’s star guard Tyrese Maxey responded with a three-pointer, giving the Sixers a four-point lead.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau called a timeout, providing Brunson with another opportunity to make a game-changing shot. Brunson faced a favorable matchup against Sixers forward Tobias Harris, but Harris’s length disrupted Brunson’s floater attempt.
Two missed shots later, it became apparent that Brunson was struggling against the Philadelphia defense. Despite the Knicks’ 104-101 victory, Brunson’s poor shooting performance in the first two games of the series has raised concerns.
The Knicks will need Brunson to find his rhythm if they hope to advance to the second round of the playoffs. Other Knicks players have stepped up in Brunson’s absence, but the team will need its star guard to perform at a higher level in Game 3.
