Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight season Sunday night, but the All-NBA guard made it clear the locker room mood after the 144-114 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers was far from celebratory.
“It wasn’t celebratory. No,” Brunson said after the Knicks completed the second-round sweep at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
The Knicks tied the NBA postseason record with 25 made 3-pointers and overwhelmed the Sixers from the opening quarter, yet Brunson repeatedly emphasized focus, accountability and preparation for the next round rather than satisfaction with reaching the conference finals again.
“I think we definitely had to discuss some of the things that we were doing in the game and we talked about that we should have done better,” Brunson said. “But for the most part we’re focused and we have to continue to have that focus. The attention to detail, the edge that we have to have is really important.”
New York has now won seven straight playoff games under first-year coach Mike Brown, including the final three games of the opening-round series against Atlanta and all four games against Philadelphia. The Knicks’ 19.4-point average margin of victory through two rounds is the largest since the NBA expanded the playoffs to 16 teams in 1984.
Brunson credited the team’s mentality for handling closeout games with urgency.
“I think the energy that we have, the focus is really important and it is a difficult game but we got to find a way, we got to stay poised and stay locked in and that’s what we have each other for,” he said.
The Knicks blew the game open early behind Miles McBride, who started in place of injured forward OG Anunoby and drilled four straight 3-pointers in the opening quarter. McBride finished with 25 points while shooting 7-for-9 from deep.
Brunson said the performance was not surprising to anyone inside the locker room.
“He’s had it and it’s who he’s been,” Brunson said of McBride’s confidence. “I don’t think maybe you guys have seen it now. But I’ve seen it since the first day I met him.”
The Knicks star even recalled a moment earlier in the season that reflected McBride’s aggressive mentality.
“There was a time where coach told Deuce like to move the ball or something,” Brunson said. “Deuce shot a shot that wasn’t the best shot at some point during the season. Then the next possession down he came down shot again and made it.”
Brunson scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers himself, helping New York build an 81-57 halftime lead. The Knicks made 18 triples in the first half alone, nearly matching Philadelphia’s entire offensive output of 57 points before halftime.
The atmosphere inside the arena also became a major storyline as thousands of Knicks fans took over the building and loudly cheered throughout the blowout.
“I know that we travel well and obviously being close to New York helps,” Brunson said. “It’s a really cool feeling. It’s something I will always think is one of the coolest things in the world when you hear Knicks fans in opposing arenas.”
Despite leading one of the franchise’s most successful stretches in decades, Brunson declined to reflect on his long-term impact on the organization.
“This place means a lot to me and we’re still writing our story, so I’ll answer that another time,” he said.
New York will face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. Brunson said the Knicks are approaching the upcoming series with the same mentality that carried them through the first two rounds.
“We have guys who want to win. We have guys who run the sacrifice,” Brunson said. “When we’re locked in, we’re holding each other accountable and when we’re doing all the little things that may not show up on the stat sheet, that’s when you know we’re clicking.”
