One of the most common refrains used to describe the NBA playoffs is that the game slows down.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Not necessarily that the basketball becomes easier, but each minute is so tense, both teams are so focused and each possession is so tight that the winner is often decided by which team — or player — can execute when the game halts to a grind.In Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson was that player, scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Knicks to a 105-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs and a 1-0 series lead.
The Spurs, meanwhile, scored only 19 points over the final period as a team and looked discombobulated as they struggled to put the ball in the hoop.What has made Brunson one of the NBA’s premier playoff performers over the last few seasons is how well he operates when the Knicks desperately need a bucket.Since the start of the 2023 postseason, no other player has made or attempted more clutch field goals than Brunson.(Clutch is defined as a game within five points with under five minutes to go.) And only 14.8% of Brunson’s clutch makes have been assisted, the lowest percentage of any player with at least 100 clutch attempts.
That means not only that Brunson is unafraid to take and make the biggest shots — but that he often does so creating entirely for himself.“In the biggest moments, he shows up, and that’s what MVPs are supposed to do,” New York head coach Mike Brown said.“We put the ball in his hands and said we are going to live and die with him.
And he got it done for us, and that’s happened time after time after time.He got to his spots, and he made plays.”Said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson: “He’s a tremendous player that’s skilled, picks his spots, knows his angles, shoots contested shots without being sped up.
He’s a phenomenal player.”In Game 1, Brunson was able to come th...