Jalen Brunson Pulled Funniest Move on Celtics Jumbotron After Fouling Out of the Game

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New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson is used to drawing fouls from opposing defenders and hearing the official's whistle in his favor.
But on Wednesday night, Brunson was on the wrong end of the official's whistle in the New York Knicks' 127-102 Game 5 loss to the Boston Celtics, as he fouled out of the contest with 7:19 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks proceeded to challenge the play, and referee Tony Brothers announced that the foul would stand as called, to the delight of Celtics fans at TD Garden.
Moments after Brothers was shown making the announcement on the jumbotron, the camera panned to Brunson sitting on the Knicks bench. Doing perhaps the funniest thing he could have done, Brunson, with a small smile on his face, waved to the Celtics fans on the jumbotron.
Brunson waved to Celtics crowd while being shown on video board after fouling out 😅😅 pic.twitter.com/SJgXN4mG8p
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) May 15, 2025
Jalen Brunson after fouling out 😅👋 pic.twitter.com/kIewtDiqWN
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 15, 2025
We see boastful waves all the time in the NBA, but it’s possible that that was the first self-deprecating wave in NBA history. Either way, Brunson will be looking to wave goodbye to his Game 5 effort, as he scored a series-low 22 points and finished a minus-18 on the night.
But he and the Knicks will get another chance to close out the series in Game 6 on Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
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Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.