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Jalen Brunson’s clutch truth bomb is why teammates love him

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Nathan Yasis | Last updated May 8, 2025 11:52 AM ET

Jalen Brunson keeps proving he’s built for the playoffs. While plenty of regular-season stars crumble under pressure, the Knicks’ floor general only gets sharper. He delivered again on Wednesday, scoring nine crucial points in the fourth quarter to fuel the New York Knicks’ 91-90 comeback over the Boston Celtics.

That performance etched his name in the record books—Brunson is now the first player in the play-by-play era (since 1997) to rack up at least 83 fourth-quarter points in the first eight games of two separate playoff runs (2024 and 2025). From game-winners to momentum-swinging buckets, Brunson is carrying New York when it matters most.

Only two other players have pulled it off even once — Stephen Curry in 2023 and Kobe Bryant in 2008. But Jalen Brunson has done it twice, and he’s doing it with force. In back-to-back comeback wins against Boston to start the second round, Brunson has completely taken over late. He outscored the Celtics 17-13 by himself over the final five minutes of the fourth quarter in both games. In Game 2, he delivered every single one of New York’s final six points, including the decisive free throws with 13 seconds remaining.

“It’s a focus that I need to have at that moment. Can’t really worry about what happened previously in the game. It’s all about just focusing, having a clear mind, just trying to win the game. That’s just my mindset, and I wouldn’t be that way without my teammates,” said the Knicks captain Brunson, after their win in Boston.

"I wouldn't be that way without my teammates."

Jalen Brunson talks about his mindset in clutch situations: pic.twitter.com/pGMHq20wO1

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 8, 2025

Jalen Brunson leading the Knicks

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates his three point basket in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons during game six of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Brunson is the driving force behind the Knicks’ dominance in crunch time this postseason. In games within five points during the final five minutes, New York holds a plus-21 net rating and has come out on top in five of seven such matchups. Brunson leads all players in clutch points this postseason (min. three games), and the Knicks are a league-best plus-31 when he’s on the floor in those pressure moments.

That’s no shock to anyone who’s watched him this year—he was named the 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year for a reason, having led the league in late-game scoring.

Brunson didn’t shoot the lights out — finishing with 17 points on 6-of-19 from the field, including 2-of-9 from three and 3-of-4 from the line — but he still dished out seven assists in 38 gritty minutes. Outside of Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points on 9-of-16) and Josh Hart (23 points on 9-of-15), the rest of the Knicks struggled to find a rhythm. This was a tough, grind-it-out win for New York.

The Knicks would prefer not to survive every playoff game by the skin of their teeth, but with Jalen Brunson as their closer, they have every reason to feel as confident as any team in recent memory.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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