“Records are made to be broken,” the Hall of Famer and Knicks legend told ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “But to have somebody like Brunson break those type of records and providing the leadership that he provides, and understanding the game and looking at how much he loves the game. And the crowd responds to him, it’s just wonderful. I love watching him play. So I’m delighted that he’s the one that actually broke those records.”
Brunson set the Knicks’ single-game playoff record with 47 points in the first round against the Sixers, the first of four consecutive games with the point guard scoring at least 40 points.
Jalen Brunson tied Bernard King’s Knicks record of four straight games with 40-plus points. Charles Wenzelberg Bernard King (r.) is pictured with Larry Johnson (l.) and John Starks (c.) during the Knicks’ April 20 game against the 76ers. USA TODAY Sports
It tied King’s streak of four straight playoff games with at least 40 points in 1984, when the All-Star forward dominated Isiah Thomas’ Pistons.
For Friday’s Game 3 in Indy, the Knicks listed Brunson as “questionable” with the sore foot.
“It’s amazing seeing it personally at the Garden as it’s taking place,” King said. “The beauty of his game is he’s a scorer. He knows how to score. He’s mastered the art of scoring. And what I always like to say is you have to understand defense if you want to be an effective scorer.
“And he understands that very well. So he controls his defender and he gets to the spots he wants to to get his baskets. And if he’s double-teamed, he’s capable of finding the open man, whether it’s Josh Hart or [Donte] DiVincenzo. And they effectively win games.”
Despite the high praise, King wasn’t ready to rank Brunson on the all-time Knicks list.
He did say it was the most excited the city has been for the Knicks since the Patrick Ewing era.
Jalen Brunson was featured on a new Nike billboard in New York City. Charles Wenzelberg
“I think that story remains to be told,” said King. “You have to wait a period of time moving forward, maybe another five years before that story can really be told properly.”
King supported Tom Thibodeau from critiques that he’s wearing down his players.
The Knicks are besieged by injuries and leaning heavily on the starters, with Hart averaging 49 minutes in the last four games.
“A coach has to coach based on the personnel that he has,” King said. “And the team that Thibs has under his guidance is a team he knows he has to primarily rely on his starting unit and the big seven more than anything else. And that’s the way you win basketball games. And these guys, they’re in great shape. They’re taking care of their bodies. And you don’t see them breaking down as a result of too many minutes.”
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