Jalen Brunson flourished into a bona fide star this season in the NBA. He has shown no signs of slowing down in the postseason.
The Knicks are on the hunt for the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973. After securing a first-round win over the 76ers, Tom Thibodeau’s contingent is up against the Pacers in the second round with a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals on the line.
New York got out to a strong start to the series with a Game 1 win at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Brunson, like he has all season, led the offense for the Knicks, dropping 41 points en route to the win.
It marked his fourth consecutive game scoring at least 40 points, a streak that has put him in the NBA history books. He became the first player since Michael Jordan to achieve that accomplishment — a sensational feat in itself.
Here’s more to know about Brunson’s stats in the 2024 postseason, and how his streak compares to other greats in NBA Playoff history.
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Brunson was the Knicks’ best player during the regular season, and that hasn’t changed since turning into the postseason.
The guard averaged 28.7 points in the regular season, and he kept just under that pace to start the postseason. Brunson posted 22 points in Game 1 of the first-round series against the 76ers, then followed that up with a 24-point performance in Game 2 to help New York build a 2-0 series lead.
Then, the New York phenom started his takeover. Brunson would already be at a five-game streak of at least 40 points; however, he was one shy in Game 3 against Philadelphia, finishing the contest with 39 points.
The streak began in Game 4 of the Philadelphia series when Brunson set a new playoff career-high, dropping 47 points in the win. He followed that up by doing everything he could to close out the series in Game 5, recording 40 points for the Knicks. The 76ers managed to stay alive with an overtime win.
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In Game 6, Brunson again led the Knicks in scoring, posting 41 points en route to eliminating the 76ers and advancing to the second round.
The 27-year-old picked up right where he left off for the Indiana series on Monday night, dropping 43 points to grab an early 1-0 series lead in the second round.
Brunson has quickly made a name for himself in NBA postseason history. His streak of four games with at least 40 points is now tied with Michael Jordan and Bernard King for the second-longest streak of 40-point games.
The record is held by the great Jerry West. During the 1965 postseason, the Lakers point guard strung together a stretch of six contests where he dropped at least 40 points.
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