Knicks' Game 4 Was the Wake-Up Call Jalen Brunson Needed

Game 4 saw the New York Knicks make a marked shift toward playing through Karl-Anthony Towns rather than Jalen Brunson. It paid immediate dividends, as New York's switch-up had the Atlanta Hawks overwhelmed all night, leading to the easiest win (by far) of the series by either team through four matchups.

Though Brunson helped chip in on this decisive victory, it was apparent how much healthier the offense can be when he's not always forcing himself at the center of it. That's the case with the star guard seemingly not being at his best.

Now, as this series shifts back to Madison Square Garden, the Knicks need Brunson to come to terms with how he can best help his team at this moment.

Jalen Brunson faced with a few painful truths after Knicks' first four playoff games

The first three games of the series saw New York default to the Brunson Show. He led the team in field goal attempts (by a wide margin) in each contest, leaned heavily on iso-driven possessions where he pounded the ball out of the air, and seemed focused on "getting his" with CJ McCollum lighting it up on the other side, rather than playmaking for his teammates.

This approach made sense in some ways. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges didn't light the basket on fire over the first three games. Meanwhile, the bench was unremarkable offensively until Miles McBride finally got going in Game 3. New York needed someone to provide offense.

Yet, Brunson's hero ball did more harm than good in the grand scheme. It made their attack predictable, allowing Atlanta to claw its way back into the series with fewer challenges being presented. It also barred Towns, who's in a plus-matchup versus the Hawks' frontcourt, from making a larger impact despite starting the series off incredibly well.

In contrast, Game 4 showed exactly why the Knicks don't need every possession to live and die with Brunson. Towns thrived as both scorer (20 points) and playmaker (10 assists, a series high) in the lead initiator role. OG Anunoby put in yet another strong offensive performance, scoring 22 points and bringing his average to an eye-catching 20.8 PPG in this series. McBride also chipped in a double-digit display (11 points) off the bench.

Meanwhile, Brunson required a ton of volume (19 shots) to notch 19 points on Saturday. He also committed twice as many turnovers (6) as he had assists (3).

Notably, some of Brunson's best contributions in Game 4 came due to his off-ball work. In the third quarter, he freed up Anunoby for an incredibly easy two points at the rim after handing the ball to Towns and hustling to set a screen.

Good off ball movement from the Knicks. Playing through Karl-Anthony Towns, flipping how ATL wants to defend Jalen Brunson. Good counter with Okongwu on OG and Kuminga on KAT

-Brunson hits KAT and cuts to the block
-Backscreen for OG, Vincent stays attached, cut is open pic.twitter.com/DVoR7HgQoS
— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) April 26, 2026

Earlier in that frame, he also gave himself an advantageous matchup by screening off the ball to get the less agile Mouhamed Gueye on him, setting up a more lucrative opportunity than others that Brunson settles for.

Knicks get to attacking matchups and using pressure points but by using Jalen Brunson off ball.

-Backdoor on the pindown, sets a backpick and then gets a screen from Robinson
-Hawks give the switch off that pindown, 1v1 against Gueye and goes to work pic.twitter.com/uf6VkdCInr
— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) April 26, 2026

All of this should challenge the way Brunson is approaching the rest of this series.

Though his hero ball can be the stuff of legends, it has not been as fruitful to this point. He's not shooting exceptionally well from the field (41.6%) or deep (38.5%), so there's no reason to keep forcing shots. His handle is also sloppier than what's expected from him, with at least three turnovers in three outings against the Hawks (and two TOs in the other).

Brunson also has to recognize that he's not alone on the scoring front. Towns has cruised to 21.0 PPG in this series while attempting only 11.8 field goals per night, so there's obvious room to lean upon him more. Meanwhile, Anunoby has been money from the field (56.0%) and deep (52.4%), and McBride has put up 26 combined points over the last two outings with eight makes from three during that time.

Brunson's off-ball success in Game 4 showed how he can make a positive impact that introduces new obstacles for the opposition. His mere gravity as a star and feared scorer draws attention, but he can use that to get his teammates open if he just makes a concerted effort on that front.

The Knicks absolutely need Brunson to close this series out, but it may require something different from him than he's accustomed to, given how the Hawks have defended him to this point. His ability to adjust for the betterment of his squad will be a key factor that determines how things shake out.

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