Tyrese Haliburton Trash-Talks Knicks During Blowout Game 4 Win; Jalen Brunson Responds

Haliburton dropped 20 points in the Pacers' win as Brunson put up just 18 points as the only Knicks starter to score in double digits. This loss will be a massive blow for the Knicks as they look gassed while the Pacers are looking ready to start pushing the tempo to keep the Knicks uncomfortable.

Brunson's comments at the end of the interaction show that the Knicks still have the fire in them to make a comeback, but they simply didn't have their legs under them tonight. The series goes back to New York tied up and the Knicks need to make sure they protect home-court before the final Indiana home game at Game 6.

Jalen Brunson Isn't Making Excuses

This was an embarrassing loss for the Knicks who jumped out a 2-0 series lead after the first two games. Teams are 33-419 while attempting comebacks from 0-2 deficits in the playoffs, and the Knicks won't want the Pacers to become team No. 34 on that list.

Even with the challenging circumstances, Brunson is making it clear that the Knicks need to win with what they have instead of making excuses.

“We can talk about fresher legs all we want. Yeah, we’re short-handed but that doesn’t matter right now. We have what we have and we need to go forward with that. There is no ‘We’re short-handed.’ There’s no excuse. There’s no excuse whatsoever. If we lose, we lose."

Brunson has been living up to the expectations of a superstar player in the 2024 Playoffs, averaging 32.9 points and 7.6 assists. His performance in Game 4 was among his worst in a Knicks' uniform, unable to work through the physical Pacers' defense. His former head coach Rick Carlisle leaned on limiting Brunson which ultimately affected everyone else on the roster as well.

Haliburton isn't lighting it up offensively through the playoffs, averaging 19.1 points and 8.5 assists. The Pacers have faced battered-up opponents so far in the postseason, so it's hard to know where Hali's impact lies. Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.7 points and 7.9 rebounds as the true scoring leader, but Haliburton's impact through his playmaking is unquestioned. 

Game 5 will be a must-win for the Knicks, as they need to kill the Pacers' momentum after two consecutive wins as well as protect their home court. The return status of OG Anunoby is unclear, but if the team can make it through this series, fans will be optimistic to see him on the court in the Conference Finals.