After blowing a 17-point fourth quarter lead on Wednesday and getting embarrassed by the Pacers in the East Finals opener, everyone expected the Knicks to be more locked in for tonight’s clash. Another loss at home would put them in a massive hole, with the series heading to Indiana for the next two games. Despite understanding the high stakes, Jalen Brunson and Co. failed to answer the call, yet again. Obviously, Knicks fans were not pleased, especially with JB’s late-game blunder that cost them big time.

Well, the New York team had a chance to tie the game in the final few seconds as they were down by just three points. Brunson even cut down the lead to one by giving a slick pass to Josh Hart inside the paint, leading to an easy layup. Then, a series of unfortunate events ruined their comeback. JB committed a foul on Aaron Nesmith by grabbing his jersey during the inbound pass. That sent Nesmith to the free throw line, and he got the Pacers’ lead back to three points.

With another chance to tie the game, the Knicks gave the ball to their Clutch Player of the Year. But instead of taking a last-second shot, Brunson took a rushed three as soon as he crossed half court, and bricked it. Sure enough, the game was sealed with that play as Tyrese Haliburton and Co. extended their lead to five points, and the New York team could not recover. Thus, going down 2-0 in the series. Despite his 36-point double-double performance, fuming Knicks fans blamed Brunson for the loss.

NBA World slams Jalen Brunson after Game 2 loss as Draymond Green’s prediction comes true

Soon after JB’s two crucial mistakes, New York fans began criticizing him for his poor decision-making. Comments like “Brunson with a terrible foul and then a rushed dumb 3. He’s been the best player on the court but that was a huge mistake” and “BRUNSON WHY WOULD U FOUL” began flooding in.

Had Jalen not fouled Nesmith, the Knicks could have won possession, as Haliburton’s pass was already way off the target. It would have given Brunson a chance to win the game with the final shot. Another netizen pointed out that this problem could haunt the Knicks the entire series as Brunson looks tired and fatigued due to his high usage, “Jalen Brunson turned over the ball in game 1 to lose the game & tonight a lazy foul! The New York Knicks star is tired & fatigued by the time the 4th quarter hits! On the other side, the Indiana Pacers got depth for years and are fresh in the 4th quarter! That’s the difference!”

Pacers are one of the fastest teams in the league, and Tom Thibodeau’s use of just seven players in the rotation is becoming a big problem. Even in the last game, the Knicks players looked fatigued during the fourth quarter and OT, which was one of the reasons they blew their lead. Meanwhile, the Pacers have the depth to go at full pace for the entire 48 minutes. Obviously, fans also trolled Brunson for his rushed three, with comments like “JALEN BRUNSON FOR THE TIE” and “That Brunson brick sounded like an explosion.”

Well, the reason behind Brunson not waiting till the end of the clock could be because Rick Carlisle had constantly double-teamed him the entire game, making it difficult to get a shot off. So, the 28-year-old likely shot a quick three because there was only one defender guarding him, and he knew he would not get a better chance to shoot. Turns out, this was a problem Draymond Green predicted on his podcast following Wednesday’s Game 1.

He said, “Teams all year have watched Jalen Brunson dominate the fourth quarter. And I thought Rick Carlisle did one good thing, and it was alarming to me. Rick Carlisle late in the fourth quarter and overtime, started trapping Jalen Brunson, and I don’t think he’s seen traps all year… If I’m them, every fourth quarter I’m trapping the hell out of him because OG Anunoby, none of those guys have been in these positions much to take over the game down the stretch.”

Yes, the Pacers relied on Brunson being the only clutch player on the team. And the strategy worked. Now, the Pacers are in a great spot, 2-0 up and heading back home with an opportunity to close the series in Indiana. Meanwhile, the Knicks fear that tonight might have been their final game of the season at MSG. Do you think they will get swept in the East Finals?