Jalen Brunson will forever be remembered as one of the best performers in NBA Finals history as he ended with 45 points to give the New York Knicks their first championship in 53 years. His performances in Game 5 is drawing comparisons to Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
Brunson ended with 45 points, but it fell a bit short of Curry’s best NBA Finals performance. Back in Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Curry had 47 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists against the Toronto Raptors.
On the other hand, LeBron James‘ best NBA Finals game came in Game 1 of the 2018 series vs. the Golden State Warriors. James scored 51 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in that game. Alongside his 45 points, Brunson had just three rebounds and three assists.
There’s a key difference in Brunson’s performance compared to Curry and James’
While scoring 45 points is nothing to be ashamed of, the box score alone signal James and Curry games as better than Brunson’s. Not only on the points statistics, but also on rebounds and assists.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 53 YEARS, THE KNICKS ARE NBA CHAMPIONS 🏆
— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2026
New York defeats San Antonio 4-1 in the NBA Finals, capturing their third championship in franchise history! pic.twitter.com/i1gmntBe06
However, Brunson wouldn’t trade his performance with either of them. After all, James and Curry both lost those games, while Brunson’s gave the Knicks their first NBA Championship in more than five decades. There’s no price tag in what Brunson just achieved.
Brunson’s NBA Finals performance puts him in elite company
Per Underdog NBA, there’s only been four players in NBA history scoring 45+ points in a closeout game in the NBA Finals. Brunson is the fourth guy on that list, joining top-talent names:
- Jalen Brunson
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Michael Jordan
- Bob Pettit
