Jalen Brunson Nets 32, Keeps Knicks Season Alive

Villanova alumnus Jalen Brunson had next to no margin of error on Thursday, May 29, facing the Indiana Pacers in a 3-1 series hole and his season on the line.

Brunson, named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year this season for his ability to elevate his play when it matters most, naturally came prepared for the challenge, helping New York to a 111-94 win. The seventh year point guard notched his tenth game of this postseason with 30 or more points and five or more assists, sinking 12 of 18 shots — including 4-of-7 from three — on the way to a 32 point, five rebound, and five assist stat line in 34 minutes of play.

Fellow Wildcats product Josh Hart, Brunson’s roommate at Villanova, provided a strong presence off the bench, checking in for 34 minutes and putting up a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Mikal Bridges, the third member of the ‘Nova Knicks’ trio, scored 12 points with five assists.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will now head back to Indianapolis, where their series with the Pacers will continue at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 31. Elsewhere in the NBA, Villanova alumnus Donte DiVincenzo saw his season come to an end as the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves. Brunson, Hart and Bridges are the Wildcats’ only hope at an NBA Championship this season, yet another potential feather in the cap of the best era in Villanova history.