Somebody take the Clutch Player of the Year award from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and give it to New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson. People should give him an award, too, for overcoming an injury scare.
The Knicks take Game 1 of their NBA Finals series with the San Antonio Spurs with the three-time All-Star living up to the billing. Brunson was the best player on the court on Wednesday night, especially during the fourth quarter as he hit clutch shots after clutch shots.
The Knicks star finished with a game high 30 points, erasing all the worries about his health status after he was forced to go to the locker room late in the first quarter when Harrison Barnes fell on to his knee.
The visiting team was down in the first quarter by eight points although the game was pretty close throughout. The Spurs had the lead most of the time but by the fourth quarter, Brunson stepped on another gear and it was a see-saw battle from there.
Brunson hit 13 points in the fourth quarter, including two field goals during the last two minutes. He hit a corner three to give his team the lead, 97-95, and the hit one in the face of a tough defense to extend their lead to 101-95. The Spurs failed to recover.