Jalen Brunson Feels Knicks Were Outmatched Physically in Loss to Celtics

The New York Knicks are now 0-2 in the regular season as they fell to the Boston Celtics 107-103 on the road. This game was close, and both teams went back and forth, but it was Boston’s Jayson Tatum who gave them a big lift late. 

Tatum finished with 36 points and scored 7 of the team’s last 8 points. After the game, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson spoke to the media about the game, and he believes there are positives and negatives to take away from their performance.  

“I think for us, we’re disappointed in the way we played physically,” Brunson said. “I think a lot of the things we can get better from are controllable.”

While the Knicks felt as though their physicality was not up to par, they did outrebound the Celtics, and they shot more free throws in the game. What led to their demise was their inability to take care of the basketball, as they finished the game with 18 turnovers. 

Another element the Knicks lacked was their interior presence, as they had 30 points in the paint compared to Boston’s 38. 

Moving forward, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Knicks this season. This was a team that cruised through the playoffs last season on their way to a championship, only losing one game after the first round, and now they’re struggling to start the new year. 

Both of the teams that New York has played up to this point in the season were franchises that made big roster moves in hopes of being the top team in the Eastern Conference. 

The Celtics traded away Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, and so far the tandem of George and Jayson Tatum has been productive in Boston. 

The Knicks have essentially the same roster as their championship team, with the only difference being center Andre Drummond. They have made it a priority to bring their core group back, but after pausing contract negotiations with players who are eligible for extensions, it makes things interesting for them moving forward. 

The Knicks will now turn their attention to the Orlando Magic, a team that is also struggling and 0-2 to start the season.  Getting a win over them could put them back on track this season and quiet the external noise they could be hearing. The Knicks will continue to face a loaded Eastern Conference this season, and it will be interesting to see how they respond to the different challenges they see.