Jalen Brunson (NYK) is our Player of the Week for the NBA Finals.
The New York Knicks entered the week up 2-1 in the NBA Finals, looking to end a 53-year championship drought. Jalen Brunson made sure they finished the job. Across Games 4 and 5 against San Antonio, he averaged 40.5 points on 50% shooting, delivering two of the most consequential performances in franchise history.
Game 4 at Madison Square Garden will be remembered for decades. Down 29 points in the third quarter, the Knicks staged the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. Brunson scored 36 points and dished 7 assists, pulling New York back possession by possession before launching a contested 3-pointer with 5.7 seconds left. The shot missed, but OG Anunoby rose above the rim to tip it in, completing the 107-106 win. In Game 5 in San Antonio, Brunson raised his level again. Trailing by 16, he scored 45 points, a franchise Finals record, including 13 consecutive in the fourth quarter. The 94-90 final clinched the Knicks' first championship since 1973 and earned Brunson the Bill Russell Finals MVP award.
Brunson finished the regular season ranked #9 in our MVP model, and the Knicks ended it as an 11.5% championship contender in our projections. That probability turned into a banner. New York's 53-year wait is over.
| Date | Opponent | Result | MP | PTS | AST | REB | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 10 | vs San Antonio Spurs | W 107-106 | 44:27 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Jun 13 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 94-90 | 41:07 | 45 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Stat | This Week | Season Avg |
|---|---|---|
| MP | 42.8 | 35.1 |
| PTS | 40.5 | 26.0 |
| AST | 5.0 | 6.8 |
| REB | 4.0 | 3.3 |
| STL | 2.5 | 0.8 |
| BLK | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| FG% | 50.0% | 46.6% |
| 3P% | 50.0% | 36.8% |
| TS% | 63.8% | 57.8% |
Our model also identifies daily value bets throughout the season. +15.8% ROI over 3 seasons of tracked results.
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