Jalen Brunson had a comical reaction to Josh Hart‘s Game 2 eruption against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The New York Knicks defeated Cleveland 109-93 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks now hold a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
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Hart exploded for a playoff career-high 26 points, seven assists and four rebounds. He proved instrumental to New York‘s 18-0 third-quarter run.
A big part of that surge came from Brunson feeding Hart, who went 5-of-11 from three-point range. Brunson also delivered 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists, the most by a Knicks player in a playoff game since Charlie Ward in 1998.
Then came his hilarious admission that feeding Hart was never the intention.
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“I’m really not trying to look for him, he just happens to be open,” Brunson told reporters postgame, drawing laughs from the room.
Brunson was joking, at least partly. The two have spent years ribbing each other. The quip landed exactly as intended.
Before suiting up together in New York, the pair played two seasons at Villanova. They won the NCAA national championship together in 2016.
Their bond runs deep enough to spawn their own podcast. Brunson and Hart co-host the “Roommates Show” alongside Matt Hillman. Brunson made clear that the jokes only go so far.
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“I have the utmost confidence in him,” Brunson said postgame. “Watching the things he does after practice, the routine, and everything. He works hard. I know we joke around about his practice habits, but he just works hard.”
The Knicks now sit two wins away from the NBA Finals. Brunson and Hart’s lighthearted chemistry on and off the court has been central to New York’s inspiring playoff run.
Related: Evan Turner Predicts Winner of Knicks-Cavaliers Series
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.