On the back of star guard Jalen Brunson, the Knicks are advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Brunson's calm demeanor in big moments was never more evident than it was in New York's first-round battle with the 76ers. The All-Star got off to a slow start in the first two games of the series, shooting an inefficient 16-for-54 from the field. The Knicks still built a 2-0 lead without his production, but Brunson bounced back in a big way from there.
New York's floor general closed the series with three consecutive 40-point games, including a Knicks franchise playoff record 47 points in a Game 4 win.
When the 76ers gave themselves life to force a Game 6 in Philadelphia, Brunson assured the series would not return to Madison Square Garden for a win-or-go-home Game 7.
The 27-year-old went for 41 points and 12 assists in Game 6, including a clutch 14-point fourth quarter to defeat the Sixers and close out the series.
His consistent heroics in the first round earned high praise from Hall of Famer Charles Barkley on "Inside the NBA" after the win.
"We are witnessing something. Brunson is one of the best free agent signings of all time," Barkley said.
"He's not LeBron, he's not Kobe, Kevin Durant — those are all-timers. But for signing a guy that nobody... I guarantee the Knicks didn't think he was gonna be this good when they gave him that contract!
"He's been amazing, man."
"Brunson is one of the best free agent signings of all time." 🔥
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 3, 2024
Chuck is still standing on his Jalen Brunson take 💯 pic.twitter.com/pqLJWr59DC
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Jalen Brunson contract
Barkley's comments stood out because when the Knicks signed Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract in the 2022 offseason, the majority of opinions felt like New York overpaid.
Many did not believe Brunson was capable of being the best player on a winning team and that the Knicks should have saved their cap space for a bigger star. In hindsight, there is no denying that New York got him for a bargain.
Two seasons later, Brunson is a bona fide All-Star who led the Knicks to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. He has already won two playoff series as a No. 1 option. At the level he is playing at right now, New York is looking like a legitimate threat to come out of the East.
Through the first round of the playoffs, Brunson is averaging 35.5 points and 9.0 assists to just 2.8 turnovers per game.
You can find a breakdown of his contract below.
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| Year | Age | Salary |
| 2022-23 | 26 | $27.7 million |
| 2023-24 | 27 | $26.4 million |
| 2024-25 | 28 | $25.0 million |
| 2025-26 | 29 | $25.0 million (PO) |
| 2026-27 | 30 | UFA |
PO = Player Option; UFA = Unrestricted free agent