Rick Carlisle Had Classy Message for Jalen Brunson After Pacers' Win Over Knicks

Mike McDaniel | May 18, 2024

May 14, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle looks on during game / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has had his hands full trying to contain New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson.

Brunson has been a key reason why the Knicks have had so much success this postseason, despite the roster dealing with plenty of injuries up-and-down the rotation.

Carlisle coached Brunson in Dallas before he departed and took the Pacers job, so he's no stranger to how good of a player Brunson is.

"He's a great player. He's a winner," Carlisle began. "He had a lot of big nights when I was there with him. The following year after I left, he had a lot of big nights there. I know this that if he had stayed in Dallas he would've been an important part of what they were going to do going forward and he would have made it work at a very, very high level. He's just so much about what's good about our game. He's a great leader. He's a great team guy."

"He's just so much about what's good about our game. He's a great leader, he's a great team guy."

- Rick Carlisle on Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/wVBLSvxTc7

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 17, 2024

While there is a healthy amount of respect between Carlisle and Brunson, it'll all be pushed to the side for Sunday's game 7 between the Knicks and Pacers. The winner faces the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, which begin on Tuesday at TD Garden.