The New York Knicks cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 in Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead in their first-round series. A big reason for the dominant win was Jalen Brunson, who delivered his best performance of this postseason.
As he checked out late in the game, the crowd at Madison Square Garden gave him a well-earned standing ovation. Not everyone joined in, though.
With about three and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter and the game already decided, head coach Mike Brown sent in the second unit. As Brunson headed to the bench, fans rose to their feet, but cameras showed Kylie Jenner staying seated.
That moment quickly went viral online, where fans erupted with reactions.
“Damn right, she knows the job isnt finished,” @FantasyGod03 said.
“At least she’s not pretending to be a fake fan, I’ll give her that actually,” @dannyducketts wrote.
“She bet Brunson’s point total under,” @DriveInBets wrote.
“She’s there for her man not his man 😅,” @eyeheartpost said.
“Give those seats to real fans not a trophy wife smh,” @playboyswervo wrote.
As for Jalen Brunson, he put up a huge night with 39 points and 8 assists, both his highest totals of the playoffs so far. He also took great care of the ball with just one turnover. On top of that, he shot an efficient 65.2% from the field and posted a +23 box plus-minus, leading the Knicks to be just one win away from moving on to the second round.
Jalen Brunson issues a one-word stern message to Atlanta ahead of Game 6
The New York Knicks have done a great job flipping the script in this series. After falling behind 2-1, they’ve bounced back with two straight wins and now hold the lead. What stands out even more is how convincing those victories have been, with an average winning margin of 22.5 points.
That surge has also boosted Jalen Brunson’s belief in the team’s ability to finish things off in Game 6 in Atlanta.
“Jalen, what’s the confidence level around the team as you head to Atlanta with a chance to close out?” a reporter asked in the postgame press conference.
“Confident,” Brunson answered.
Brunson has been outstanding to start the playoffs, putting up 28.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. Still, Atlanta is a tough place to play. The Hawks went 24-17 at home during the regular season, so closing out the series there won’t be easy. If the Knicks want to avoid a Game 7, they’ll likely need another big performance from Brunson, similar to what he delivered in Game 5.
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