Jalen Brunson‘s first 40-point game of the year couldn’t have come at a better time.
The All-Star point guard dropped a season-high on Saturday night to lead the Knicks over the Orlando Magic and advance to the NBA Cup Championship on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Brunson’s scoring outburst came on 16-of-27 shooting (59.3 percent), despite going 2-of-5 from three-point land and only making six free throws. He also added in eight assists, four rebounds, and a steal over 39 minutes in the 132-120 win.
After the victory, Brunson spoke with the NBA on Prime crew about his performance and how his game continues to improve, especially on the big stages.
“I think the way we’ve been playing, I’ve been able to get a couple more catch and shoots. I have a lot of confidence in my shot,” Brunson said. “I work way too hard not to be confident. Sometimes it’s going to go in, and when it’s going in I’m just going to keep firing them.”
The 29-year-old was then asked by former two-time MVP Steve Nash about his “touch around the rim” and how that keeps getting better over the course of his career.
“It’s something I had to learn,” Brunson said. “Obviously I’m not the tallest and I’m not jumping over people… My game’s unique. I play off balance. I’m on balance, but most people wouldn’t be. That’s the stuff I work on, just be deceiving. I’ve done it for a long time and it keeps getting better and better like you said.”
Brunson’s previous season-high in scoring was 37 points, which he’s had twice this year (against the Heat on Oct. 26 and vs. the Bucks on Nov. 28). He’s now averaging 28.3 points per game over 22 contests and has scored 30-plus points in four consecutive games.
New York, winners of five straight games, will need Brunson to continue playing with that confidence to keep their streak going on Tuesday night in the NBA Cup Championship against the winner of the Thunder-Spurs semifinal game.
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