Ex-NBA champion annihilates Jalen Brunson with brutal statement amid Knicks’ ECF struggles

Jalen Brunson is having impressive Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. The New York Knicks star is averaging 39.5 points, 8.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game heading into Game 3 on Sunday. Despite Brunson’s numbers, the Knicks lost the first two games at Madison Square Garden.

Jeff Teague, who won the 2021 NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, diagnosed what ails the Knicks in Sunday’s 520 podcast.

“You know how the Knicks lose these games, bro? The shot clock is 24 seconds, he’s holding that bi**h for 17 trying to get a pick and roll, bring another dude. I’m going 1-on-1. If he don’t make it, it’s like F**k! It’s the way he hold the ball. They don’t get no rhythm. When he comes out of the game, all of a sudden the pace pick up, the tempo pick up.”

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau relies heavily on Jalen Brunson to run the offense. He allows the point guard to do as he pleases to carry the team. Brunson’s 39.9% usage in the ECF is way above Karl-Anthony Towns’ 26.2% rate. Everything the Knicks do on offense runs through Brunson when he is on the floor.

The methodical style the Knicks use is nothing new. They’ve been using it for the entire season to great effect. Brunson and Co. rallied from 20-point deficits in the semifinals to eliminate the Boston Celtics because of their deliberate half-court sets. The same style has not been effective, though, against the Indiana Pacers.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks faced a double-digit deficit at halftime in Game 3

With their backs against the wall, the New York Knicks started hot in the opening quarter of Game 3 on Sunday behind Jalen Brunson’s 11 points. They built an 11-4 lead before the Indiana Pacers roared back into the game to lead 30-26 after the first 12 minutes ended.

After playing the entire first quarter, Brunson sat out the first five minutes of the second period, the reason the Knicks struggled. The Pacers increased their lead to 42-35 when the All-Star guard returned.

Jalen Brunson’s presence hardly mattered as the lefty guard struggled, going 0-for-3 with two turnovers. Brunson’s stuttering performance helped the Pacers to a commanding 28-19 dominance in the second frame. New York trailed 58-45 at halftime.