Jalen Brunson won hearts in game 5 as the star gave the New York Knicks a 3-2 lead against the Indiana Pacers. The star’s 44-point outing was applauded by many except for one. Sports media personality Colin Cowherd bizarrely took a shot at Brunson blaming the Pacers’ poor defense for the performance.
Cowherd was unimpressed by the performance as he compared Indiana Pacers‘ defense to the Michael Jordan era. During his radio show, The Herd, Cowherd claimed that Jalen Brunson‘s achievement did not deserve credit considering the type of defense played against him.
I know Brunson is great, but he's scoring 44 against a pathetic defense. Colin Cowherd said on The Herd
The host went off on the Eastern Conference teams and claimed that the Pacers are the worst defensive team in the playoffs. He compared the defense in the East matchups to the West matchups of the playoffs. According to Cowherd, considering Brunson’s talent, the performance was even easier as he was left wide open in the game. The host called the outing to be similar to practice sessions.
"We have to be honest here. All the fanboys in New York… I know Brunson is great, but he's scoring 44 against a pathetic defense."
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 15, 2024
— @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/1eyzcVs1qx
Taking away from Brunson’s performance to criticize the Pacers’ defense did not sit well with fans. Brunson played for 43 minutes and made more than 50% of his shots in the game. Also, his special 40-point outing got him a unique record to his name.
Cowherd was not the only critic of the Pacers’ defense. Considering the team was lacking offensively in game 5, many believed that the Pacers should have stepped up defensively. Especially the team’s star Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton was only able to score 13 points in the loss, but his defensive performance was one of the main issues for the former defensive player of the year. The Golden State Warriors Draymond Green called out the Pacers guard during Inside the NBA on TNT, claiming that Haliburton’s performance affects the team’s mentality.
When you come out and hedge on a screen and you just slap behind a guy and the guy turns the corner, that is setting the tone for the team, because you're the guy…We're asking you to come out and give an honest effort and compete. Draymond Green said
"You're The Guy…Give an honest effort & compete…If you take the easy way out on the defensive end every chance you get, those guys you need to run thru a brick wall ain't running thru that brick wall, & you're gonna be on your way home"
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 15, 2024
– Draymond Green to Tyrese Haliburton pic.twitter.com/jSZ6Dgf7th
The Pacers and Haliburton certainly need to step up in order to stay in the competition. The team has to perform better both offensively and defensively to stay in the competition. The Pacers cannot afford to lose any games, as the Knicks are only one win away from winning the series.
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