Jalen Brunson makes life easier for Knicks with playoff career-high 14 assists in Game 2 win

After the monster game Jalen Brunson had in the Knicks’ improbable comeback win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers knew they had to change their game plan.

Instead of letting Brunson do his thing and shutting down the other scorers, Cleveland focused their energy and defense on stopping the Knicks captain. That, however, also didn’t work as Brunson dished a playoff career-high 14 assists in the Knicks’ 109-93 Game 2 victory on Thursday night.

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“That’s what great players do. They read the game and the game dictated that,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters after the game. “Obviously, we were loaded up more toward him and he found other guys. We gotta find that balance. But 14 assists, credit to him. [We] took away some of the scoring options, blitzed him, gave him different looks. He made the right reads, right plays.”

“As an MVP candidate, Jalen Brunson’s job is to make the game easier for his teammates,” Mike Brown said. “That’s what he did.”

Brunson scored two points on just 1 of 3 shooting in the first quarter, deferring to Karl-Anthony Towns (seven points) in the opening frame. The second quarter was more of the same, dishing three assists as Josh Hart and OG Anunoby scored a combined 15 points while Brunson went scoreless in the quarter on 0-for-3 shooting.

While Brunson’s scoring increased in the second half (17 points on 6 of 10 shooting), he made nine assists in the third and fourth quarters to

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“They were presenting two to the ball and I was able to find my teammates and they were knocking shots down,” Brunson said after the game. “Just trying to create an advantage by putting two on the ball and trusting them and having them make the play.”

And Brunson’s teammates rewarded that trust. Hart went for a team-high, and playoff career-high, 26 points, while Towns (18), Anunoby (14) and Mikal Bridges (19) all scored in double-figures to help give the Knicks a 2-0 series lead.

“He had a huge offensive game the last game, so we knew they would come in with a different game plan,” Hart said of Brunson’s game. “That shows the confidence he has in us and the…

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Publish date : 2026-05-22 04:28:00

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