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Kendrick Perkins Reveals What Jalen Brunson ‘Owes’ Knicks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zachary Rainey | Last updated May 27, 2025 3:46 PM ET

The New York Knicks overcame tremendous odds Sunday night when they overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The result was much-needed for the Knicks, as going down 3-0 would have been disastrous for a team that still has its eyes on the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Knicks fans should be used to this by now, as the Knicks overcame huge deficits against both the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons just to get to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Kendrick Perkins reveals what Jalen Brunson "owes" Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-for-4 from deep. He also secured eight rebounds in the quarter.

In many of the previous comebacks, it was Jalen Brunson who did the heavy lifting to get the Knicks back into the game. Watching him put on a show in nearly every fourth quarter became a familiar sight for the Clutch Player of the Year award winner.

Ahead of an all-important Game 4, Kendrick Perkins revealed what he believes Brunson owes the Knicks.

"This is the moment for him to shine," Perkins said. "I think he owes the Knicks one. He was 6-for-18 from the field. Yeah, he had a crucial bucket in the fourth quarter, but he owes it to his team to go out there and deliver like he's been delivering on the road all postseason long."

"This is the moment for [Jalen Brunson] to shine. I think he owes the Knicks one."

—@KendrickPerkins believes Brunson is a bigger key for the Knicks than KAT in Game 4 against the Pacers pic.twitter.com/ejTKWFyHyp
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 27, 2025