It was a crushing blow for the New York Knicks on Monday, who suffered a brutal four-point loss at Madison Square Garden (115-111). With a 2-0 advantage in the series, Game 3 was an opportunity to take a decisive 3-0 lead before they blew their chance with an anemic performance.
For his part, star point guard Jalen Brunson struggled with his efficiency, dropping 32 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 44.0% shooting from the field. He also had five turnovers. It was far from his best showing, but the three-time All-Star expressed little concern about the trajectory of the series. During a media press conference on Wednesday, his message was one of humility, reminding teammates to be teachable in the face of adversity.
“I think, most importantly, saying this last night: Win or lose, we’re gonna have to come be here today to understand what we need to do to be better,” said Brunson after the game. “That’s the mindset, regardless. Win, we learn; lose, we learn. We understand what we have to do to be better, giving our team a chance to not turn the ball over, stop fouling, and continue to be who we are. It’s no different than [if we lost a week ago].”
The Knicks let a lot of people down last night, but there are still some positive signs. As a team, the Knicks shot 45.5% from the field (13-37 from three), while committing 13 turnovers. It’s fixable mistakes for New York, but the path to victory also requires a strong performance from Karl-Anthony Towns. He was a no-show on Monday with 11 points, eight rebounds, one assist, three steals, and two steals on 40.0% shooting (0-2 from three).
In his most recent chat with the media, Brunson also spoke about Towns and how their relationship has grown over the years. Despite the fluctuating gameplay, Jalen had nothing but nice things to say. In fact, he denounced the “unfair” narratives cast on him by the fans and media.
“He’s been a very great teammate, but, most importantly, the person he is is fantastic,” said Brunson. “He’s a person who’s willing to do whatever to help out, whether he knows you well or not. That’s just who he is. I didn’t know him as well, but getting to know him now, it’s an unfair narrative of him, but I truly love that dude and everything he’s done for this team, the city, and as a friend. He’s been fantastic.”
Overall, the Knicks are still in a pretty good place. After winning the first two games on the road, they built themselves a cushion to give up some ground without completely turning the series. Still, a loss in Game 4 would not be ideal, given it would set things back at 2-2 with the teams heading back to San Antonio.
In times like these, it puts everyone’s future in question, and that’s especially true for Towns. If he continues to struggle as he did in Game 3, the Knicks may have serious doubts about moving forward with him in the future. Nevertheless, they will have to make do for now, and Jalen Brunson has no complaints. Ahead of Game 4, all his focus is on how he can be better and help lead his team to a historic Finals win.
