Knicks’ Jalen Brunson growing comfortable off-ball: ‘That’s who he’s been’

Jalen Brunson is finally moving the ball.

It’s a positive development for a Knicks team whose championship aspirations hinge on their captain’s willingness to include his teammates in offensive actions. And it worked well in Game 4, the Knicks‘ most decisive victory of the first round: Brunson didn’t have it going offensively, but Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a triple-double, his 10 assists fueling a 16-point win to even the series at two games apiece in Atlanta on Saturday.

Brunson said it isn’t a difficult decision, especially when the Hawks are sending the double at half court or blitzing him in pick-and-roll scenarios.

“Find the open man,” he said after practice at the team’s Tarrytown training facility on Monday. “There’s two on the ball. Someone has to be open.”

It looked difficult earlier in the season, when Brunson’s isolation-heavy play style lent itself to nine losses in 11 games to start the 2026 calendar year. That style of play won’t work in the playoffs, not with an NBA Finals or bust mandate from ownership. It appeared to be the topic of conversation, too, when the Knicks’ captain and his father, Rick Brunson, engaged in a spirited conversation on the sidelines during Game 4.

Brunson finished with just 19 points and dished three assists to six turnovers, but the Knicks punched their most convincing win of the series. He said hero ball isn’t necessary, especially when the double teams come.

“Not when you have the result we did last game,” said Brunson.

Instead, Brunson set solid screens to create cutting opportunities for his teammates. OG Anunoby led all Knicks with 22 points in Saturday’s victory, six field goals assisted by Towns.

“The thing about [Jalen], he’s a great screen setter. He has a really good change of pace where he slips and stuff like that which can cause confusion,” head coach Mike Brown said after practice on Saturday. “So, Jalen is about as coachable as they come. If I had to coach his father, it might be different. Sorry Rick. Jalen is right up there with the Steph Curry’s of the world.”