Knicks’ Jalen Brunson named finalist for NBA Clutch Player of the Year award

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson named finalist for NBA Clutch Player of the Year award

They call him Captain Clutch for a reason. 

Knicks PG Jalen Brunson has been named a finalist for the 2024-25 NBA Clutch Player of the Year award. 

The nomination is very deserving, as Brunson has stepped up for the Knicks time and time again -- putting the team square on his back often down the stretch in games when they need him the most.

The latest example: Saturday’s Game 1 playoff victory. 

With the Knicks trailing by eight entering the fourth, Brunson went on another one of his vintage runs -- scoring 12 of his game-high 34 points in the final 8:30 of the quarter to help pullout the come-from-behind win. 

During the regular season, the All-Star point guard averaged 5.6 points while shooting a stellar 51 percent from the field during the “clutch,” which is defined by the NBA as the last five minutes of the game. 

Overall, Brunson averaged 26 points and a career-high 7.3 assists on the year. 

The other finalists for the award that was introduced during the 2022-23 season are Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves.