New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson was named the Larry Bird Trophy winner as the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brunson helped lead the Knicks to a 4-0 series sweep over the Cleveland Cavaliers in what can only be described as a historic beatdown of epic proportions. After coming back from a 22-point deficit to steal Game 1, the Knicks blew out the Cavs by double-digits in Game 2, Game 3, and Game 4 to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Brunson was a huge part of the Knicks’ dominance, and now he has some more hardware to show for it.
Jalen Brunson Wins ECF MVP Award
For his incredible performance in the Eastern Conference Finals, Brunson took home the Larry Bird Trophy for the first time in his NBA career. The NBA officially announced the award following the Knicks’ big win in Game 4 to seal the series sweep over Cleveland.
According to the NBA, Brunson received all nine media votes for the honor.
Brunson averaged 25.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game along the way to help the Knicks defeat the Cavs in four games. He is the Knicks’ leader both on the court and in the locker room, and he definitely deserved to get this honor as he’s the team’s best player.
For Brunson, however, the job has just begun, as he has his sights set on the NBA Championship, which the Knicks will play for against either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder. For a Knicks team that hasn’t won the NBA Championship since 1973, they have a chance to make history when they battle against either the Spurs or Thunder in the finals.
Knicks Looking to Win NBA Championship
The Knicks finished in third place in the Eastern Conference this season, so they weren’t the favorites to come out of the East and make it to the finals. Most people thought it would be either the Detroit Pistons or the Boston Celtics who would represent the East in the NBA Finals, but after the first three rounds, it has been New York that has emerged as the best team in the East.
During the regular season, the Knicks played against the Thunder twice and lost both games. They played the Spurs and split the series 1-1. However, they also played the Spurs in the NBA Cup Finals and won it, so really, the Knicks are 2-1 against San Antonio this season.
Based on their head-to-head records this season, the Knicks likely would prefer to play against San Antonio in the NBA Finals since they have had success against them this season. But the Knicks will be the underdogs in either series as the Spurs and the Thunder were the top two teams during the regular season, and both teams have played great during the postseason. As good as the Knicks are, the Thunder and Spurs are viewed as superior teams, so New York will be the underdog against whoever they play. However, you can’t count them out of pulling off an upset against either team, especially if Brunson goes off again.
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