Jalen Brunson etched his name into NBA history after a memorable Game 6 performance.
The New York Knicks are heading to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third straight season as they registered a 4-2 series win over the Detroit Pistons.
Speaking of the series, aside from the first two matchups, the Knicks and Pistons produced an incredibly closely fought contest.
Even in Game 6, the two teams were inseparable until Knicks’ Jalen Brunson sealed the game with a phenomenal game-winning three-point shot.
Jalen Brunson reaches Michael Jordan’s territory
Brunson capped off Game 6 with a game-winning dagger as he finished the matchup with 40 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists in 42 minutes of playing time.
During the process, the 2x NBA All-Star also managed to reach a rare milestone in playoffs that only Hall of Famer Michael Jordan had ever achieved.
According to OptaSTATs on X, it was the second straight season where Brunson had 40+ points and 5+ assists in a road closeout win.
Last season, Brunson eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers and dropped 41 points along with 12 assists in the closeout win on the road.
As mentioned earlier, only Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan had dropped such stats in road closeout wins in back-to-back postseason runs.
Jalen Brunson’s numbers vs the Pistons
Surviving the first round of the playoffs is only a start, but it’s clear that Brunson is by far the best offensive player on the Knicks roster this season.
In six games, Brunson averaged 31.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game for the organization.
But the job will only get tougher for Brunson and co. as they are all set to take on the Boston Celtics in the second round.
The Celtics are currently the defending champions of the NBA and have a couple of days of extra rest after eliminating the Orlando Magic in just five games in the opening round.
