The Knicks guard is keeping things simple with Philadelphia on deck.
The New York Knicks are headed to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the fourth straight year, and their next opponent is now set.
The seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers earned their way into the second round with a Game 7 win over the Celtics on Saturday, rallying from a 3-1 series deficit.
New York demolished the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in a Game 6 closeout Thursday night, the largest playoff win in franchise history.
Almost immediately, the conversation shifted to what comes next.
Brunson Is Not Looking Ahead
Jalen Brunson was not taking the bait at practice on Saturday.
When asked about facing Philadelphia, the 29-year-old gave as plain an answer as possible.
"I haven't really thought about that, but it's one of those things where you can't really worry about," Brunson said. "You've got to control what you can control and focus on one day at a time and focus on the task at hand. Those things you try not to think about because you just can't control those things."
The words sound generic, sure, but Brunson has played that way all year and it has worked.
He averaged 26.0 points and 6.8 assists per game during the regular season for a Knicks team that went 53-29 and grabbed the third seed in the East.
Once the playoffs started, he raised it to 28.2 points per game against the Hawks and scored at least 26 in four of his five full games in the series, including 39 in Game 5.
New York outscored Atlanta by a combined 96 points across the final three games, and Brunson credited the defense for unlocking that run.
Brunson Has Owned This Matchup Before
Philadelphia is next, and Brunson does not need a scouting report to know what this series will feel like.
The Knicks and 76ers split their regular season series 2-2 this year, with the road team winning every game.
Brunson averaged 28.0 points and 6.3 assists in the three meetings he played.
Two years ago in the 2024 first round, he torched the 76ers for 35.5 points and 9.0 assists per game over six games, with a career playoff-high 47 in Game 4.
New York took that series in six.
The 76ers Are a Different Group Now
Philadelphia is not the same team Brunson ran through two years ago.
Joel Embiid had 34 points in their Game 7 win to finish off the Boston comeback, and Tyrese Maxey added 30 in that same game.
The 76ers went 45-37 and needed the play-in just to reach the postseason, but there is real energy behind this team after what they did to the Celtics, and the Knicks would be foolish to take them lightly.
New York also has home court in the best-of-seven.
Brunson is not saying much about the 76ers right now, but two years of results against this team say he probably does not need to.
Game 1 tips off Monday night at Madison Square Garden at 8 PM ET on NBC.