In August, Jalen Brunson was at MSG for a ceremony to celebrate his team captaincy.
Bruson spoke that day about the influence of his parents, Rick and Sandra. He talked about the team-friendly extension that he’d signed a few weeks earlier. He also touched on his goals for the coming season.
One of them?
“How we can get past the second round,” he said.
For most of the 2024-25 season, it seemed like the Knicks had no chance to advance beyond Round 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They’d be facing either the Cavs or the Celtics -- two teams that beat them soundly in the regular season.