‘We Found A Way… We Kept Fighting’ 

The New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 96-92 on Sunday to go up 3-1 in their first-round NBA playoff matchup. The game was extremely competitive until the end, and New York’s Jalen Brunson spoke about the back-and-forth throughout Game 4 during the postgame press conference.

Brunson Praises 76ers’ Play

Brunson’s statement begins with praise for his opponent.

When asked about what he makes of the Knicks’ performance tonight just days after a heartbreaking Game 3 loss, Brunson began by showing Nick Nurse and the 76ers some love.

The 76ers put on an impressive performance against the Knicks in Game 3, and there was skepticism that the Knicks could head back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead. However, Philadelphia didn’t have enough offensive firepower in the final quarter to level up the series at two games apiece.

Statistically, the Sixers were far better in Game 3 than on Sunday, shooting less accurately and finding the bottom of the basket less overall. Granted, it was a tense game that was more of a grind for both teams and defense took a front seat. However, the 76ers fell short when it mattered the most.

Whether it was their own doing or due to quality defensive pressure, the 76ers couldn’t pull out a win.

Knicks Continue Extremely Strong Play

Bouncing back from a Game 3 loss is representative of this team’s resilience.

After commenting on the 76ers, Brunson turned his praise to his team. He continued:

This quote (and this game) excellently sums up the character of this Knicks team. Playing hard throughout the entire game, they manage to focus on the task at hand while simultaneously keeping their sights fixed on future success.

The Knicks are playing extremely well and looking more and more like a real contender. Playing well even in their loss, they’ve gotten off to a good start this postseason.

Brunson Continues to Level Up

Despite his praise for his teammates, Brunson is the biggest reason for this team’s success.

Brunson, the always humble star of this team, has continued to lead them through their first four games. He finished the game with a staggering 47-point, 10-assist double-double while shooting 52.9 percent from the field. Those 47 points, by the way, set a new franchise record for most points scored in a single postseason game by a Knick.

Even with his incredible performances in the regular season, he plays even better when the games have real stakes. This postseason, he’s improved upon almost every statistical category of his regular-season line.

He has shot slightly less accurately, but with how well he’s been playing, sacrificing slightly on field goal percentage for better overall stats is working out fine, especially considering his field goal percentage is still above 40 percent.

Brunson and the Knicks seek to close out the series this Tuesday (April 30) at 7:00 pm in New York for Game 5.

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