Knicks' Jalen Brunson to Make Anticipated Return to AAC

On Tuesday, Jalen Brunson will be in the American Airlines Center for the first time since Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. He played an instrumental role in the Dallas Mavericks' postseason run, averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 18 games.

Brunson departed from the Mavs to sign a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks. It was an opportunity to run a team as the floor general, and he's thrived in doing so. He's led the team to an 18-16 record while averaging 20.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists.

While it remains to be seen whether Brunson will be available to play, Luka Doncic looks forward to having him back at the American Airlines Center again. Brunson is currently questionable to play due to a sore hip.

“It’s going to be great,” Luka Doncic said. “JB is our guy. It’s going to be fun and great to see him again.”

Brunson got injured early in his first ever game against the Mavs when Dallas won 121-100 on Dec. 3, at Madison Square Garden. He finished with 13 points and three assists in 27 minutes and was overshadowed by the Mavs shooting a staggering 24-61 (39.3 percent) from 3-point range.

Brunson recently appeared on NBA TV and discussed his decision to join the Knicks, and how it's been going so far. He enjoys being in the "great opportunity" with a group of players that he wants to be around.

“It was a great opportunity for me," Brunson said recently on NBA TV. “The group (of teammates) I’m with are hard workers. They’re always in the gym, always trying to get better, and that’s the type of thing I want to be around.”

When Brunson signed with the Knicks, he made it clear that he wants to earn his role as being a leader. He is going to do what it takes to win games, as he's shown throughout his basketball career through and through.

“I just want to be myself, be a leader, a person who works hard and will do anything it takes to win and will sacrifice a lot,” Brunson said. “That’s who I am. I don’t want to come here and expect everything. I want to earn it.”

Entering Tuesday's matchup, the Mavs have won three consecutive games in what has been largely a soft spot in their schedule. In order to sustain the momentum, they must account for Julius Randle with an undersized group in addition to containing Brunson, if he plays.

“We’re doing a good job right now, Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “We got three in a row right now. We know we got a tough Knicks’ squad coming in. With JB coming back and (Julius) Randle coming back home, we got to be ready to fight on both ends of the floor.”

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