sport news Jalen Brunson has run more miles than ANYONE in the NBA semifinals... can he ... trends now
Jalen Brunson's 6-foot-2 frame doesn't quite illustrate the towering presence he has for the New York Knicks as the franchise looks to rescue the Eastern Conference semifinals series in a do-or-die Game 6 in Miami tonight.
Almost 12 months on from signing a four-year, $104million deal with the Knicks - then-considered an overspend by some - Brunson is unquestionably the lightning rod for New York's hopes of playoff progression.
The braided Brunson wasn't interested in adulation in the moments following the Game 5 win at the Garden, nor in front of the media during his postgame press conference. His virtuoso performance 38-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist night kept the Knicks' season alive - for another four quarters at least.
Brunson played every second of the 112-103 win Wednesday and was magical, alongside Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett, as New York's three-headed monster combined for 88 points.
'Nothing was said at all,' Brunson said when asked if there was discussion with coach Tom Thibodeau about playing the entirety of Game 5. 'Whatever it takes. [I] just tried to do everything I could to win. We did that, now it's on to Game 6.'
Jalen Brunson has been the answer to the prayers of long-suffering Knicks fans this season
The 26-year-old maintains a relatively low profile and is engaged to his childhood sweetheart
Alongside Brunson in Miami will be his father, Rick, a former Knicks player who is now an assistant on the team. He was hired by New York in June 2022 - a month prior to Brunson's agreed move.
Brunson - and Knicks teammate Quentin Grimes - played a breathless 48 minutes on Wednesday but the Heat can't bank on hopes he'll have wilted by the time he takes to the court on Friday night.
'The one thing I obsess over is just my work ethic,' he told SLAM in March. 'If I'm always working, I'm always getting prepared, I will never have to just get ready.
'Don't need to get ready when you stay ready.'
Brunson's 48-minute game was the first this playoff series. Of active players in the NBA, Kevin Durant has played the most 48+ minute games with 13. He is trailed by LeBron James (12), Jimmy Butler (8) and Rajon Rondo (5), according to Statmuse. Since the NBA season began, on 21 occasions a player was on the court for 48 minutes or more.
It is not uncommon in the playoffs as series' get down the stretch and, of course, head to overtime. Games like Friday are what Brunson stays ready for.
He is averaging 41.9 minutes (41.9) per game in the semifinals - ahead of Durant on 41.1 - and sits equal-fourth among average minutes since the playoffs began (39.8).
The 26-year-old has run 15.30 miles, at an average 3.07 miles per game in the semifinals -- more than any other player in the Association.
New York survived its first elimination game, but need to win a second tonight to stay alive
Jalen Brunson has led the charge for the New York Knicks throughout its postseason run
Brunson and his fiancée - Ali Marks - have been dating since the pair were in high school
Given his role as New York's playmaker, Brunson doesn't have hold the average speed of his more explosive teammates. He ranks fifth on the Knicks and 12th overall between Knicks and Heat players, moving at 4.07 mph.
Brunson is swift enough, as evidenced in his ability to wrestle free of the clutches of Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry Wednesday night, but athleticism has never been his
