Just as Knicks had to focus on Trae Young, Hawks needed to slow down Jalen Brunson
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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to pass while being defended by Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in New York. Credit: AP/John Munson
ATLANTA — Only two members of the starting five remain on the Knicks' roster from the team that found itself in a contentious playoff series with the Atlanta Hawks two seasons ago. The Hawks dominated and Trae Young emerged as a villain at Madison Square Garden, drawing the ire (and spit) of fans and taunts from then-Mayor Bill de Blasio.
When the two teams met Friday night at State Farm Arena, there was little thought among the players about Young, other than how he fit in the game plan. And even if he arrived with much less visible swagger, Jalen Brunson arrived very much on the Hawks' minds. Both teams were focused on the same thing — how to stop the dangerous point guard on the opposing side.
“That’s for the fans,” Josh Hart said. “I know they have fun with it. That’s for them. I approach Trae Young the same way that I approach, you know, LeBron, Jokic, [Anthony Davis], the top guys in the league. That’s another challenge for us.
“I don’t think we’re like, ‘Oh, we’re playing Trae Young, it’s Trae Young day, so you’ve got to get excited.’ Nah, he’s been an All-Star in the league. He’s a great player. We’ve got to make sure we’re focused on having a game plan, just focusing on that. I’m not really worried about the extracurricular. I’ll let the fans worry about that.”
While Young answered the taunts by leading the Hawks to a five-game series win two years ago — averaging 29.2 points per game, including a 36-point effort in the elimination game — Brunson has taken a much quieter approach in his leadership of the Knicks. He says little, but he led the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs last season. That may have surprised some, but not Hawks coach Quin Snyder, who was the coach of the Jazz when Brunson emerged in the national spotlight two years ago as Dallas knocked out Utah.
“Not in the slightest,” Snyder said before Friday’s game when asked if any of Brunson's production as the Knicks' lead guard has surprised him. “Beginning with when he was in college, just the command that he had over the game, his understanding is unique. Plays with his feet on the floor. The way that he changes speeds.”
In that series, particularly the two games that Luka Doncic missed with an injury, Brunson took over, scoring 41 and 31 points in the two games.
“That series, he was the best player on the floor when Luka was out, and there were times when he was the best player on the floor when Luka was in,” Snyder said. “That’s just a credit to him. So it was very obvious the level that he was capable of playing at, and it has shown — certainly at that point, too.”
Snyder believes that paired with Julius Randle, Brunson is an even bigger challenge.
“[They’re] 1A and 1B,” Snyder said. “I’m not sure which one would be 1A and which would be 1B. You focus on both, and particularly because they both impact the game in different ways. You have to know how and what your matchups are, the things that you try to do to make it hard. That’s really all you can do, put them in positions where you’re playing percentages. There are times you can play good defense and not have success. So it’s both, which is what makes them good.”
Brunson struggled in the Knicks' opener, shooting 6-for-21 from the floor as the Knicks fell to Boston. Little flusters Brunson, but something seemed off, and he was asked if was just a result of opening night excitement.
“It might be, but I hold myself to a higher standard,” he said. “I just have to be better no matter what night it is. If basketball is being played, I gotta be the best whenever I can be available.”
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