Jalen Brunson Hilariously Avoids Gambling Question as Knicks Head to Vegas for NBA Cup

A smart move there.
Brunson finished Tuesday's contest with a total of 35 points.
Brunson finished Tuesday's contest with a total of 35 points. / MSG Network / Screensho
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The Knicks defeated the Raptors in the Eastern Conference knockout round of the NBA Cup on Tuesday night, thereby punching their ticket to this weekend's semifinal round in Las Vegas.

So in light of the trip to Sin City, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was asked after the win to share with the media his favorite Vegas table game. But Brunson very wisely (and hilariously) dismissed the question, likely due to the federal gambling investigation that has rocked the league in recent months.

"I don't gamble," Brunson replied. "Probably a good thing I don't gamble, right? Probably shouldn't say anything about gambling," he concluded, with a smile.

That's some good media training right there.

Watch that below:

In October, federal agents arrested then-Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier in separate but related cases pertaining to a wide-ranging sports gambling investigation. In mid-November, it was reported that the NBA was also requesting cell phones and documents from multiple teams as part of its own inquiry.

So Brunson's denial on Tuesday, whether or not he was telling the truth, was probably the right move.

He finished that game with 35 points, three rebounds and four assists, and he'll certainly look to replicate that point total when New York takes on the Magic in the semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 13.


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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.