Jalen "Born To Play Basketball" Brunson Powers Knicks To 9th Straight Win

Brunson has been called many things this season (too small, not 1A, not "that dude"), but on Thursday night, inside MSG, in front of his mom and dad and wife, he was called "MVP" by 19,812 fans.

Final Score: Knicks 109 - Pacers 105
Record: 32-17

There has been a burgeoning love affair between Jalen Brunson and Knicks fans since the day the point guard arrived in NYC. But last night, man… last night, the reciprocal respect, affection, and admiration ascended to another level.

There is something special going on with this player and this team this season.

…but before we get there, let's circle back a bit.

For years, if you covered the Knicks, you were forced to talk about who wasn't on the roster. Over the first two decades of this century, the Knicks lost more basketball games than every other team in the NBA. Consequently, the contests themselves were almost an afterthought each winter. 

The common refrain among fans in February would be, "Well, New York lost yet another game, but that means they'll have more ping-pong balls and a greater chance to land Zion Williamson…" Or, "Yeah, the Knicks lost again, but they'll have plenty of cap space this summer to make a run at Grant Hill or LeBron James or Kyrie Irving or Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant or Lebron James (again)."

Yet, time after time, superstars shunned New York. Flabbergasted fans couldn't understand why these all-time greats were unwilling to join the Knicks. Yes, the pressure would be immense, but winning in NYC is unlike winning anywhere else on the planet. 

If you don't believe me, ask Jalen Brunson how he feels this morning.

Last night, against the high-octane Pacers, the Knicks trailed by 15 points in the first half. They were still down double-digits in the third quarter and by eight points with less than eight minutes left in regulation. 

Brunson and the Knicks, playing their third game in four days without their starting center (Mitchell Robinson), their starting power forward (Julius Randle), and their starting small forward (OG Anunoby), were exhausted and running in fumes. 

But this point guard and this team refused to quit. They scratched and clawed, eventually fighting back into the game. 

For Brunson, being knocked down and counted out is nothing new. In the 2018 draft, every team in the NBA passed over him as he slid into the second round. When he hit free agency, there wasn't a bidding war for his services. In fact, when he signed with New York, plenty of pundits claimed the Knicks had vastly overpaid for an average-at-best PG who hadn't proven he was capable of being an NBA starter.