Jalen Brunson turned a championship-clinching night for the New York Knicks into another piece of playoff scoring history.
The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, ending a 53-year title drought behind Brunson's 45-point performance.
That masterclass did more than deliver a ring. It also pushed Brunson into a scoring group that only a few active NBA stars can claim.
Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
In a post shared by Underdog NBA on X , Brunson's latest 40-point playoff game was placed into rare active-player company.
"Active players with 10 or more 40+ point playoff games: LeBron James, Kevin Durant , James Harden , and now, Jalen Brunson."
That list explains the scale of what Brunson has become in the postseason. LeBron, Durant and Harden have spent years defining high-volume playoff scoring, while Brunson has forced himself into that tier through repeated Knicks carry jobs.
This one came with the biggest stakes of his career. With a championship available in San Antonio , Brunson scored 45 points in 41 minutes and gave New York the shot-making base it needed to survive a tense finish.
Brunson's Game 5 line matched the moment. He shot 14-of-27 from the field, 4-of-7 from three-point range and 13-of-15 at the free-throw line. He also added 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals as the Knicks held off Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
The number that mattered most was the final score. New York won 94-90, closing the Finals on the road and finally lifting the franchise's first NBA championship since 1973.
Brunson had already carried major scoring responsibility throughout the series, including 36 points in the Game 4 comeback that put the Knicks up 3-1. Game 5 turned that run from impressive into historic.
Joining LeBron, Durant, and Harden on an active-player playoff list is a career marker. Doing it while ending the Knicks' 53-year title wait made Brunson's night something far bigger than a stat note.
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