The Clutch Player of the Year was missing in the fourth quarter Tuesday night.
Jalen Brunson, who has lifted the Knicks to dramatic come-from-behind wins throughout the postseason, was quiet in crunch time in Game 4.
He was limited to just two points and three field goal attempts in the final period of the dismal 130-121 loss at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that moved the Knicks to within one loss of their season ending.
Brunson finished with 31 points on 9-of-19 shooting, but most of that damage was done in the first three quarters.
He was also a minus-14 in 37 minutes, as the Pacers continued to take advantage of him on the defensive end.
“I’m not doing enough,” Brunson said. “I could sit here and be very detail-oriented about certain things, but obviously not good enough. There has to be a difference on my part when it comes to that.”
Before the game, coach Tom Thibodeau went after the officials for questionable calls against Brunson in recent games.
“Some of the plays, they’re 50/50. They can go either way. I’m looking, he’s taking charges and he’s getting called for blocks,” the Knicks coach said. “I don’t care what the officiating is saying, I’ve studied this league a long time, I know what a charge looks like.”
Brunson was in foul trouble in the Knicks’ Game 3 victory, picking up four fouls in the first half.
He also had five fouls in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals and fouled out in Game 5 against the Celtics in the previous round.
He was called for just three fouls in Game 4.’
It was a breakout game for Pacers reserve guard Bennedict Mathurin.
He scored 20 points off the bench after managing just 11 in the first three games of the series.
Knicks superfan Spike Lee was in attendance, flying from Cannes, France, to be at Game 4.
