Jalen Brunson's Mindset Fuels Knicks' Commanding 2-0 Finals Lead

The New York Knicks are two wins away from their first championship since 1973, and Jalen Brunson is making sure nobody gets comfortable.

After the Knicks held off the San Antonio Spurs 105-104 in Game 2 on Friday night, Brunson laid out the mentality carrying New York through a dominant postseason run.

"Every single day we chip away trying to be the best thing we can be," Brunson said. "Our mindset was 0-0, not being up 1-0. Even with what the series is now, next game has the mindset to be 0-0 again. It's just how it has to be. You can't be comfortable. You can't be satisfied with anything. We've just got to continue to push forward."

What makes those words hit even harder is the kind of night Brunson had.

The Knicks' leader shot just 7-of-25 from the field and 2-of-8 from three, finishing with 20 points in a game his team won by one.

For a three-time All-Star who averaged 26.0 points on 46.7 percent shooting during the regular season for a 53-29 Knicks team, it was one of his rougher outings.

But Brunson still made his mark with six assists and five steals, and he came through when it mattered most by hitting a game-tying jumper before sinking the go-ahead free throw with under 10 seconds left.

That willingness to grind through a cold night instead of forcing the issue is what the 0-0 mindset looks like in real time.

The Spurs entered these Finals as the higher seed after going 62-20 and fighting through a seven-game war with Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals.

The Knicks, who finished third in the East, were not supposed to be the more composed team.

Yet two games in, that is exactly what they have been.

A big reason has been Karl-Anthony Towns, who was the best player on the floor in Game 2 with 21 points and 13 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting.

While Brunson struggled to find his rhythm, Towns kept the offense moving and won the rebounding battle against a Spurs team that had been dominant on the boards all postseason.

New York has also shown it can handle runs better than a young Spurs roster still learning the playoff stage.

The Knicks trailed by 14 in Game 1 before rallying for a 10-point win, then watched a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 2 disappear during a furious San Antonio run only to answer with clutch plays down the stretch.

Victor Wembanyama had 29 points and nine rebounds in Game 2, but a costly turnover in the final seconds ended any chance at stealing one back.

New York heads home to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Monday riding a 13-game playoff winning streak.

If Brunson's message takes hold, the Knicks will walk into the Garden treating it like 0-0 all over again.