Brunson matches MJ scoring feat
Jalen Brunson scored 43 points, becoming the fourth player in NBA history — and the first since the Bulls’ Michael Jordan in the 1993 NBA Finals — with four consecutive 40-point games in the postseason, and the Knicks beat the Pacers 121-117 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night in New York.
Brunson had 21 in the fourth quarter, rallying the Knicks after they trailed by nine early in the period, and joined Hall of Famers Jerry West, who had six consecutive 40-point games in the postseason, Jordan and Bernard King (both with four).
Donte DiVincenzo hit the tiebreaking three with 39 seconds remaining and scored 25 for the Knicks. Myles Turner scored 23 points to lead the Pacers.
♦ Heat president Pat Riley was noncommittal on what the team will do with Jimmy Butler, who likely will ask for a two-year extension this summer that could guarantee him as much as $113 million for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. “That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who’s going to be there and available every single night,” Riley said. “That’s the truth.”
Butler turns 35 in September and has missed 100 regular-season games in his five seasons with the Heat. He missed the Heat’s first-round playoff loss to the Celtics after hurting his knee against the 76ers in the first play-in game.
♦ The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA’s rookie of the year. He averaged 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds and becomes the third Spur to win the award, joining David Robinson (1990) and Tim Duncan (1998). He was the sixth unanimous winner, joining Ralph Sampson (1984), Robinson, Blake Griffin (2011), Damian Lillard (2013) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016).
♦ Mavericks coach Jason Kidd signed a multiyear extension, one day before his team opens a second-round playoff series against the Thunder.