DETROIT — When games enter crunch time, Jalen Brunson routinely elevates his game. Now, he’s been recognized for it.
He won the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award, it was announced Wednesday night.
He beat out fellow finalists Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic, who were the two other finalists.
Brunson is just the third winner of the award, which was created in 2023.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after hitting a 3-point shot against the Pistons. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostDe’Aaron Fox was the first recipient in 2023, and Steph Curry won it last year.
Brunson scored 156 points in the clutch — which the league defines as the last five minutes of a game when the score differential is five points or less — in the regular season, per NBA.com’s tracking stats, which was second most in the league behind Edwards.
But Brunson shot a stellar 51.5 percent from the field in the clutch, compared to Edwards’ 42.6 percent. Brunson also recorded 28 assists in the clutch, third most in the league.
Does he enjoy playing in the fourth quarter the most?
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks puts up a shot over Jarrett Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jason Szenes / New York Post“Whatever it takes to win,” Brunson said recently. “I don’t really think about it that way. I just know it’s time where truly everything counts, truly everything matters.”
He’s had mixed results this postseason, however.
Through the first two games of the first-round series against the Pistons, which is tied 1-1 heading to Detroit, he has four total points in the clutch on just 1-for-3 shooting from the field along with one assist.
Pistons wing Malik Beasley took a slight dig at Madison Square Garden after playing the first two games of the series there.
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“They saying that [Little Caesars Arena] bout to be more lit than the garden,” Beasley posted on X Tuesday, along with three eyeballs emojis.
He did not say who “they” is apparently saying that.
Malik Beasley of the Detroit Pistons shoots a 3-point basket during the game against the New York Knicks during Round 1 Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2025 at Madison Square Garden. NBAE via Getty Images“That’s his opinion,” Karl-Anthony Towns said in response after Knicks practice Wednesday.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau railed against the referees, particularly in how they officiated Brunson, following the 100-94 Game 2 loss Mondaynight.
Specifically, he suggested Brunson was being officiated differently than Pistons star Cade Cunningham.
Asked Wednesday if he spoke with the league or sent in video to express his frustration, Thibodeau said he’ll “keep that private.”
Thibodeau does not think there is a need for major adjustments ahead of Game 3.
“I think when you look at it in totality, [Game 2] is 97-94 and Mikal [Bridges] has an open 3 with 11 seconds to go. And he shot it great, it just didn’t go in. It was a great play by Jalen to Mikal — Mikal did a great job moving without the ball. So if that shot goes in, we’re probably not talking about the other stuff. But that’s playoff basketball.”
