The Knicks say Jalen Brunson merits MVP consideration. His play says it as well

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Josh Hart got asked a question Saturday night after the New York Knicks reached the NBA Cup championship game about where Jalen Brunson ranks as a scorer. Hart smiled. Brunson cringed.

And then, as typically happens when those two share a postgame podium, comedy happened.

“He’s barely a 6-foot guard," Hart began, with Brunson sitting about two feet to his left. "Not physically impressive, not athletic, but he’s able to manipulate defenses. Big head, so he has a big brain. He’s able to figure out those angles and find himself in position to be successful. So, inch for inch, I think he’s probably the best one.”

Brunson — listed at 6-foot-2, perhaps a bit generously — tried to interject a few times during Hart's answer, to no avail. Hart couldn't stop talking, much in the same way that Brunson couldn't stop scoring. He had a game- and season-high 40 points in New York's 132-120 win over Orlando in the NBA Cup semifinals, giving the Knicks a shot at the title on Tuesday against Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio.

Hart's point, in his own way, was clear: Brunson is playing at an elite level right now. And Knicks coach Mike Brown was more direct, walking into the postgame interview room Saturday and hammering home a specific point he's been making in recent weeks — that Brunson, even this early in the season, belongs in the MVP conversation.

“He makes the game easier for everybody,” Brown said. “That’s what MVPs are supposed to do, and he definitely did that tonight. ... At the end of the day, he carries you home. It’s beautiful to be able to see him do what he’s more than capable of doing on a national stage like this, in an environment like this. Hopefully you guys as media and the fans out there can continue talking about him as an MVP of this league because that’s exactly what he is.”

Brown later made this clear: He's not campaigning. The way he sees it, he's just offering facts. And if Brunson — now averaging 28.8 points per game — keeps playing this way, the MVP case is going to get even more compelling.

This is also clear: Brunson isn't going to lobby for individual honors. And he has his reasons, starting with his parents — one of whom is a Knicks assistant coach.

“Sandra and Rick Brunson, first and foremost, how they raised me,” Brunson said when asked why he doesn't outwardly seek recognition. “My family, my wife, my inner circle, everybody that I have been involved with. My inner circle keeps me humble, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

He was 16 of 27 from the field on Saturday, adding eight assists to the 40 points. He and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs both had 25 points at halftime; Suggs was slowed by a nagging hip injury and had only one point in the second half. The game was tied at 90-90 late in the third, and the Knicks went ahead for good with a 9-2 run — Brunson scoring seven of those points and getting the assist on the other basket.

“He constantly finds a way,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He gets you in tough positions. He knows how to use his footwork, knows how to use his leverage, knows how to get calls, stepping into shots. He plays those long minutes early on, being able to find matchup situations. Again, he hit some tough, timely shots. I think that’s what you have to credit him for. He’s one of those guys who continues to do that, and that’s what he’s proven to do in this league.”

Brunson was the NBA's clutch player of the year last season, so it's not like he's been ignored by voters. Brown just wants him to have a different trophy.

“You see a lot of other great candidates that are well-deserving but I don’t ever hear Jalen’s name,” Brown said. “When you’re first or second in either conference, and you’re putting up the numbers that he’s putting up, his name’s got to be one of the first names coming out of somebody’s mouth.”

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