The incident occurred late in the third quarter during a timeout, and Brunson’s unjust expression with the situation was visible on his face.
“Jalen Brunson jaws at Rick Carlisle who wants an 8-second violation on him. Then Carlisle gets heated & T’d up,” the caption read.
Since Carlisle moved to Indiana and Jalen Brunson to New York, the two have met in the playoffs in back-to-back years (2024 and 2025), with Carlisle’s Pacers eliminating the Knicks both times.
The Knicks point guard has previously called Carlisle a coach who helped him grow from Day 1, even while acknowledging past drama.
The Knicks ultimately won 121-114, a much-needed victory to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Brunson finished with 31 points and nine assists, continuing his stellar season.
If Jalen Brunson and company can once again increase their trips to the line under playoff pressure, the Knicks may be able to make a deeper run into the postseason.
Jalen Brunson and Rick Carlisle have history. Thursday night, that history boiled over again. But for Brunson, the last laugh came in the form of a win and another step toward playoff redemption.