Feb. 1 was a good day for Jalen Brunson. Though it was anything but a surprise given his performance this season, the New York Knicks guard was officially named as an Eastern Conference All-Star and, just moments later, Brunson took the court for the shorthanded Knicks against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. New York trailed by as many as 15 points, including a double-digit deficit in the second half, but the Knicks overcame the absences of Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Quentin Grimes in what became a 109-105 victory.
The Knicks have played as well as any team in the league in recent days but, after the game was over, Brunson was emotional in a way that is not typical following a mid-season victory.
"This place is unbelievable" –@jalenbrunson1
Jalen Brunson gets emotional when talking about tonight's 9️⃣th straight win, his first ever @NBA All-Star game, and The Garden faithful chanting M.V.P. #NewYorkForever | @nyknicks | @alanhahn pic.twitter.com/u6whCTBqQT
— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) February 2, 2024
For one thing, Brunson’s day was pretty fantastic, and that extended to the court. He led the way for the Knicks, finishing with a game-high 40 points on 15-of-30 shooting. That included 11 points in the fourth quarter and 19 points after halftime, pushing his team to another impressive win.
The MSG crowd was also bonkers, and the “M-V-P” chants Brunson received during the postgame interview certainly didn’t hurt the scene. New York is now 18-5 at home this season and, beyond that, the Knicks are 15-2 since the calendar flipped to 2024. In the end, though, Brunson’s emotional reaction was a reminder of the power that sports can have, with a city backing a player, the player giving it all he has, and a wildly impressive run culminating in one incredibly fun moment.
