Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Sends Strong Message on Tatum’s Return

Jayson Tatum is back. After 298 days away from competitive basketball, the Boston Celtics star returned Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, posting 15 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in 27 minutes. The Eastern Conference felt the shift immediately.

The New York Knicks did not flinch.

Asked about the implications of Tatum’s return, both Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns made their positions clear. The Celtics can do what they want. New York has its own work to do.

Brunson Weighs In on the Rivalry

Brunson had a personal perspective on Tatum’s return. He was there when it all went wrong.

Tatum had 42 points in Game 4 of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden before his Achilles gave out. Brunson watched it happen in real time and admitted he did not immediately grasp the severity of it.

“He was torching us,” Brunson said. “At first I thought he just rolled his ankle. And obviously I saw the reaction, saw everything, and it was clearly much worse.”

Despite the rivalry, Brunson was genuine in his well wishes.

“You wish good health for everybody,” he said. “Obviously you want to beat everybody you play against. But you don’t wish any negative on anybody, no matter the rivalry. I’ve known him for a very long time. Great work ethic. Great person. I wish him nothing but the best on his return.”

Towns Sends a Clear Message

Towns was equally unbothered when asked about Tatum’s return and what it means for the Knicks’ path in the East.

“I mean, it doesn’t matter to me because at the end of the day, if we’re not executing and playing at a high level and being disciplined, it doesn’t matter who’s on the court,” Towns told reporters. “We’ll lose. We’ve got to be our best version. You can’t be worrying about anyone else. We need to worry what’s in-house first.”

It is a straightforward message, and one that is easier to deliver when the Knicks are playing the way they have been. On the same night Tatum made his return in Boston, New York was dismantling the Denver Nuggets 142-103 on the road. Towns finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds. OG Anunoby was brilliant. The margin of victory tied for the largest home defeat in Nuggets history.

That is the kind of form that makes Towns’ words carry weight.

What Tatum’s Return Means for the East

The Knicks eliminated the Celtics in six games last spring, the series in which Tatum suffered his injury. Boston subsequently shed salary and retooled around Jaylen Brown, who has carried the Celtics to the second seed in the East and put together what many consider a borderline MVP season.

Now Tatum is back, and if the playoffs started today, these two teams would be on a collision course in the second round once again. The Knicks currently sit one and a half games behind Boston in the standings.

Towns is not losing sleep over that. He has a point. New York’s recent form has been among the best in the league, and the Knicks now boast the league’s best net rating against top-10 opponents. Both their offense and defense rank in the top five in those matchups. That is not a team that needs to worry about what anyone else is doing.

Final Word for the Knicks

A healthy Tatum makes the Celtics arguably the most dangerous team in the conference. There is no debating that.

But Brunson and Towns are not concerned. They have answered every challenge this season with their play, and Friday night in Denver was another reminder of why.

The Knicks know what they are capable of. They also know who eliminated the Celtics last year.

That history does not hurt either.

Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins