Jalen Brunson says the Knicks have learned from games where they “let their foot off the gas,” including this year against Atlanta and last year against Indiana
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden on December 03, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks have not looked like a team waiting to be stopped. Since falling behind 2-1 in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, they have turned a nervous postseason into something that looks almost inevitable.
Seven straight wins. Six by double digits. Four by at least 29 points. They swept the Philadelphia 76ers without ever letting the series feel unstable and walked into the Eastern Conference Finals as one of the strongest favorites left in the bracket.
Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden brings a different kind of test.
For all the momentum New York has built, this stage carries a specific weight for this group. Last year, the Knicks entered the Eastern Conference Finals as favorites against Indiana and watched the series change in a matter of minutes. A blown lead. A Tyrese Haliburton shot. A collapse that spilled into Game 2 and became the memory that followed them into the offseason.
Jalen Brunson did not pretend the lesson had disappeared.
Brunson acknowledged that directly.
“I think it happened this year as well when we played Atlanta,” Brunson said. “We let our foot off the gas, even in Game 1 when we won. But also Game 2, obviously we lost. It’s something that we need to continue to get better at and I think we have, but we can’t be satisfied.”
The Indiana series left scars. Brunson said the Atlanta series serves as a reminder.
The Knicks star made clear that closing quarters and closing games will be critical against Cleveland. The full 48 minutes have to matter, no matter what the scoreboard says.
The message was not one of anxiety. It was one of clarity.
For the Cavaliers, it should read as a warning. This is a team that knows exactly where it has been vulnerable, has spent months correcting it, and is walking into Game 1 with eyes open.
The Knicks will be ready.
Jalen Brunson says the Knicks have learned from games where they “let their foot off the gas,” including this year against Atlanta and last year against Indiana
Since the Atlanta slip, this version of the Knicks has operated at a different level entirely.
New York is averaging 125.3 points across those seven wins. Their lowest output during the stretch was 108. They have taken apart opponents without needing late-game escapes, and they have held leads with the kind of maturity that was missing when the postseason first began.
That is the growth Brunson was pointing toward.
This no longer feels like the 53-win team that entered the playoffs with questions. It feels like the team New York thought it could become.
Brunson has been the engine. He is averaging 27.4 points this postseason, getting to his spots and making the right read when defenses collapse. Opponents build their entire approach around slowing him down. By the end of each series, it has not mattered.
GettyJalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers played two Game 7s to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, including a convincing win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. They come to Madison Square Garden without much rest, but they arrive with genuine weapons.
Donovan Mitchell has carried Cleveland through difficult moments all postseason. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen both delivered in the Game 7 win. James Harden, still searching for his first Finals appearance since leaving Oklahoma City, gives the Cavaliers another creator who can tilt a game if New York lets him settle in.
That is why Brunson’s point matters.
GettyJalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks talks with Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after the game at Rocket Arena on February 24, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Brunson has been through enough to know what this stage demands.
The lesson did not disappear with the offseason. Atlanta made sure of that. He is not pretending either moment did not happen. That honesty is part of what makes him the right player to lead this group.
The Knicks have home court and momentum. Tuesday night gives them the chance to set the tone.
Make it count.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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