Jalen Brunson "Can't be Messed With", Says Karl Anthony Towns Despite Tough Shooting Night in Game 2

The New York Knicks are now only two wins away from an NBA Championship, despite their star guard Jalen Brunson having an off night in San Antonio. They escaped with a 105-104 win after a wild ending to Game 2 of the Finals, and Karl Anthony-Towns issued a warning to Brunson's doubters in the postgame press conference.

"You call it 'rough shooting nights,' I see him hitting the free-throw to give us the game. To give Mitchell [Robinson] the chance to get the stop for us to win the game," Towns said in the postgame press conference.

"When it comes down to winning the game, number 11 can't be messed with," he added.

Brunson only hit 7 of the 25 shots he attempted in Game 2. While he led the Knicks in attempts, he had the lowest field goal percentage on his team at 28%.

Late in the fourth quarter, Brunson missed several easy looks, which kept the Spurs in the game. But with a minute left, he sank a fadeaway jumper to tie the game 104. Then, with 10 seconds left, he capitalized on a mistake made by Victor Wembanyama, which forced a turnover.

Wemby then fouled Brunson, sending him to the line for two free throws. He split the charity stripe shots, sinking the first and missing the other to put his team up 105-104. That was enough, as Wemby missed the potential game-winner on the other end, thanks to Mitchell Robinson's defense on the French big man.

Brunson struggled to shoot the ball well on Friday, but Towns, who scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, reminded the NBA that the star guard almost always steps up when it matters most.

He pointed to Game 1 and Brunson's clutch three-pointer with the Knicks trailing 95-94. Brunson's shot from downtown swung the momentum in their favor, and the Knicks eventually went on to win 105-95.

Game 2 of the NBA Finals was a bit of an anomaly for Jalen Brunson in this playoff run, as it was the first time in 16 games that he shot that low a percentage.

A rare night off for Jalen Brunson

The New York Knicks have lost only two games during the 2026 playoffs so far (both, surprisingly, in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks) and are currently riding a 13-game winning streak.

Jalen Brunson has been a major contributor to his team's success, leading the Knicks in both scoring and playmaking with 28.4 points and 6.1 assists per game. That's why Game 2 was such an anomaly.

In fact, throughout the Knicks' entire postseason run, it was the first time he shot below 30 percent. 7-for-25 (28.0 percent) is his worst shooting performance in this year's playoffs so far. Before this game, in which he scored 20 points, his lowest shooting performance actually came in Game 1 of the Finals. In that one, he went 12-for-31 on the field for a 38.7 percent shooting clip, scoring 30.

At the time, his Game 1 performance was only the third time he shot under 40 percent in the postseason. The other two? They were both against the Hawks.

He went 10-for-26 (38.5) in their Game 2 loss. Then, in Game 4 of that series, he shot 7-for-18 (38.9).

While Game 2 of the Finals could certainly be considered an anomaly, it's not the standard for Brunson. In the 16 games he's played in this year's playoffs, he's shot 46.1 percent on an average of 21.0 attempts per game.

Regardless, Brunson finds himself in a comfortable position as far as his title ambitions are concerned. The job is still not done, and he knows that. "Even with what the series is now, next game, mindset has to be 0-0 again," he said in the press conference.

"It's just how it has to be. You can't be comfortable, you can't be satisfied with anything. You've just got to continue to push forward."

Game 3 will take place on the Knicks' home court at the loud and iconic Madison Square Garden on Monday, June 8.