Where would the New York Knicks be without Jalen Brunson? Well, for starters, they probably would've lost Wednesday's game against Philadelphia. The Knicks let the Sixers claw their way back into the game in the fourth quarter, which is when Brunson worked his magic.
The star point guard has come up big in clutch moments since he arrived in New York three years ago, especially this season. Wednesday's game was no exception. Brunson scored a game-high 34 points on 8-of-17 shooting, and 14 of those points came in the fourth quarter. He went on a 9-0 run by himself.
The game was tied at 102 with 1:28 left when Brunson brought the ball past halfcourt, waved Josh Hart to the opposite corner, and pulled up for a three-pointer with Tyrese Maxey on him. The ball rattled in and out before hitting the backboard and swishing through the net. New York went on to win, 110-105.
ending the night with a BANG‼️ pic.twitter.com/UeCq8TRkC1
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 27, 2025
NBA Clutch Player of the Year award belongs to Jalen Brunson
Brunson is in the conversation for the MVP award again, but one of his teammates is ahead of him this year. Karl-Anthony Towns has received recognition during his first season in New York, but everyone knows the award will go to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Nikola Jokic.
Jokic is also a frontrunner for the Clutch Player of the Year award, like Brunson. As good as Jokic is, there's no denying that the award belongs to Brunson. The NBA defines clutch as the last five minutes of a game when the score is within five points. Take a look at Brunson's numbers in the clutch this season:
Jalen Brunson in the clutch:
— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) February 27, 2025
37 FGM (1st in the NBA)
5.5 PPG (1st in the NBA)
51.4 FG% (2nd min 50 FGA)
The Knicks are 14-7 in clutch games (2nd best record in the NBA)
All 37 clutch field goals⬇️
pic.twitter.com/0VM0fQnydj
The Clutch Player of the Year award, named after Jerry West ("Mr. Clutch"), began in 2022-23. De'Aaron Fox won it with the Kings, followed by Steph Curry in 2024. If Brunson wins it in 2025, he'd be the first Knick and Eastern Conference Player to do so.
When the game is on the line, there's nobody else you want with the ball in their hands than Brunson. It would've been nice if the Knicks didn't let Wednesday's game go down to the final minutes after they jumped out to an early lead, but at least fans at MSG and at home were rewarded with The Jalen Brunson Show.