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Jalen Brunson's Clutch Gene Went Missing in Knicks' Game 5 Loss

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson didn't play his best in the team's Game 5 loss against the Boston Celtics.

Jeremy Brener

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson controls the ball in the first half during game five. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson controls the ball in the first half during game five. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson is the league's Clutch Player of the Year. That means when the moments are the biggest, he shines the most, but that wasn't the case in the Knicks' Game 5 loss against the Boston Celtics.

The Knicks had a chance to close out the series in Game 5 against the Celtics, but the stars were truly aligning. Going into the second half, Brunson and the Knicks were tied against the Celtics, who were playing without Jayson Tatum, who suffered a torn Achilles in Game 4.

However, instead of rising to the occasion, Brunson got into foul trouble and the Knicks lost by 25, which was a surprise to The Athletic insider Fred Katz.

"The surprise from Wednesday night wasn’t that the Celtics won in their home building. It’s how it happened. The Boston avalanche began at the beginning of the third quarter and didn’t stop. The Celtics drew fouls. They got to the free-throw line 18 times in the period. They drained 3s and got out in transition. The Knicks shot only 4 of 20 from the field in the third," Katz wrote.

"It was no surprise the defending champs could go on a potentially season-altering run, even without Tatum. But the shocker came with it: It seemed almost as if the Knicks let it happen."

"Brunson, who rarely fouls, committed five fouls just in the third. The Knicks’ starting lineup, which has underwhelmed and was a minus-22 in this series, was struggling again. After strong first halves from reserves Mitchell Robinson and Miles “Deuce” McBride, Thibodeau didn’t make a substitution until late in the quarter. By the time the bench players came in, the Knicks had let go of the rope."

The Knicks will have to prove that their Game 5 performance was a fluke in Game 6, otherwise they will be on the brink of elimination going into a hostile Game 7 environment against a rejuvenated and momentum-feeding Celtics squad on the road.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email [email protected].

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