Jalen Brunson Drops Another 30-Piece, But Knicks Can’t Come Back

Villanova alumnus Jalen Brunson put up 31 points on Tuesday, May 27, clearing the 30-point barrier for the third time in four games against the Indiana Pacers. Despite Brunson’s scoring ability, his New York Knicks fell in a 3-1 series hole against Indiana.

Jalen Brunson made two of six three-point attempts and nine of 19 shots overall, a relative down night, but managed to draw a series of fouls and sink 11 of 12 free throw attempts. He added two rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in 37 minutes on the court.

Fellow Villanova alumnus Josh Hart added 12 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in 36 minutes off the bench, fouling out with 1:44 left to play after accruing his sixth foul of the game. Mikal Bridges, the third member of the ‘Nova Knicks’ trio, made four of five three-point attempts, shooting better from beyond the arc than he did from two-point range on the way to a 17 point outing.

With the series heading back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5, the Knicks will need to run the table in order to stave off elimination. Elsewhere in the NBA, Villanova alumnus Donte DiVincenzo faces an identical 3-1 series deficit with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he had his best game of this postseason in Game 4.