Jalen Brunson Unsatisfied After Win Over Nets Despite Breaking 4-Game Losing Streak

The New York Knicks finally snapped their slump on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets, and it was a perfect way to bounce back after losing four straight. They demolished the Nets 120-66 in what was a feel-good and expected victory for the side. Jalen Brunson, however, wasn’t celebrating too much.

Following their blowout defeat at home to the Dallas Mavericks, alarm bells had begun ringing among the loyal New York fanbase. Since winning the NBA Cup in December, the Knicks had gone 5-9 heading into the clash with the Nets. That was cause for concern, as they found themselves only a few games away from slipping into the play-in positions.

Brunson, after the Nets game, shared his thoughts on how the team picked itself up mentally and approached the clash with a bounceback in mind.

“A lot of soul searching and a lot of self reflection,” Brunson said. “We got a long way to go as a team. We know how good we can be. But, still a long season.” 

Elite teams can have a few bad weeks. Even the Oklahoma City Thunder entered a slump in December, losing three times to the San Antonio Spurs in the space of three weeks, while also falling to a struggling Charlotte Hornets side. The Knicks are no OKC, and a bad run in form is more than expected.

There are issues with team chemistry that have been discussed of late, with the NBA’s longtime critical analyst Kendrick Perkins labeling Karl-Anthony Towns as the “problem.” Coach Mike Brown, despite winning the NBA Cup, has also reportedly been under pressure.

Brunson, like everyone on the Knicks roster, knows what it means to deal with the resurgent expectations of such a huge franchise that smells blood. After his on-court interview, when asked about his “soul-searching” remark, he spoke about the need to get better.

“This is a good step for us, but we’ve got to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day,” Brunson declared.

The Knicks are currently 26-18, two games behind the Celtics in second place. They do, however, have to watch out for the Raptors, Cavaliers, and 76ers behind them, who are not too far back. In fact, they next play Philly on Saturday in a game they simply cannot lose.