Jalen Brunson did not have one more in him.
After knocking off the Boston Celtics 108-105 in overtime, the New York Knicks’ All-Star point guard gave the media eight minutes of his time. That apparently was more than enough, as you can audibly hear a Knicks PR staffer say, “Alright, last one.”
“Jalen, especially when OG [Anunoby] is going like that defensively, he can be so quick getting out in transition. As often the guy who receives the outlet pass, where are you looking for him when you guys are getting stops and you’re getting out running, however, you get the stop? Where are you looking for him? What’s your process like there?”
“Always looking ahead,” Brunson replied. “Um, me and OG always lock eyes and see where can attack offensively — whether it’s in transition, whether it’s in half court. He always finds the seam to be open. When he’s open, I know he’s going to knock it down. It’s just the chemistry we’ve had since we’ve been together, and it’s only going to get better.”
Technically, that should have been the last question.
The reporter tried to sneak in a follow-up: “Do you feel like it’s in a different place now?”
It wasn’t exactly a curveball or a “gotcha” question. It’s merely a simple extension of the answer Jalen Brunson just gave, which most players usually handle without much of a second thought.
But Brunson wasn’t having it.
“I’m pretty sure Derek said, ‘One last question,'” Brunson said, in reference to New York’s public relations manager, Derek Lapinski.
Oof.
There’s no harm in the follow-up attempt. That happens all the time in postgame settings, especially when time is limited, and players are shuttled in and out quickly. And to be clear, there was nothing wrong with how Jalen Brunson responded, either. He didn’t dodge media altogether like James Harden might. He showed up, answered questions, and probably had a little fun shutting the door at the end.
Maybe it was playful; maybe it wasn’t.
Either way, it felt like a weird note to end on, especially after a gutsy come-from-behind win to steal Game 1 on the road in Boston.