Halloween Special: The Scariest Knicks Moments of the Brunson Era

Forget haunted houses. If you want to know what real fear feels like, try being a Knicks fan for the last three springs. The scariest moment of the Brunson era, for my money, is still Jalen Brunson walking off with a broken left hand in Game 7 against Indiana in 2024, a 130-109 loss at the Garden, per the AP. The runner-up is the night Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton turned a 14-point Knicks lead into an overtime loss a year later. And the funny thing about this team? Two of the most terrifying moments I've ever sat through came during the title run, and they ended with us screaming for joy. It's Halloween, the champs are 2-4 after last night in Philly, and there's no better day to walk through the haunted house.

The two that still keep me up at night

Game 7 in 2024 felt like a horror movie where you already know how it ends. The AP described a team "decimated" by injuries, with four key players already unavailable by that afternoon. OG Anunoby tried to come back from a strained left hamstring and was pulled after five minutes, per the AP. Then Brunson, who'd scored 40 or more five times that postseason, felt something in his hand swiping down at Haliburton in the third quarter, per NBA.com. He finished with 17 points and nine assists on 6-of-17 before he had to leave. Alec Burks scored 26 off the bench, and it didn't matter. Indiana shot 67.1% from the field, an NBA playoff record, per the AP, after making 29 of 38 shots in the first half. That's not a loss you get over. That's a loss you carry into the offseason, and honestly it's part of why I'm so stubborn now about wanting size and depth on the wings.

Then came May 21, 2025, Game 1 of the East finals. The Knicks led by 14 with 3:14 left, per the AP's breakdown, and after a Brunson three with 2:51 to go it was 119-105. Then Nesmith started hitting from everywhere. By the AP's timeline he made five threes in those final 3:14, and the Pacers scored 23 points in that stretch, which no team had done in the final 3:14 of a playoff game in the play-by-play era. Haliburton's jumper at the buzzer bounced high off the rim, hung there forever and dropped. He did the choke sign at the crowd. Replay showed his toe on the line, so it only tied it at 125, but Indiana won 138-135 in overtime, per the AP. Nesmith finished with 30 on 8-of-9 from three, per Basketball-Reference. I still can't watch the last three minutes.

The scares that turned into a parade

Here's what makes this franchise special right now. Last June we got the scares and the happy ending in the same week.

Game 2 of the Finals in San Antonio was a jump scare. We led by 14 midway through the fourth, and the Spurs scored the next 14 points to tie it, per the AP. Victor Wembanyama's and-one with 57 seconds left gave them a 104-102 lead. Brunson tied it, then Wemby threw an outlet off Stephon Castle's back, Brunson grabbed it, got fouled and made one of two with 9.5 seconds left, per the AP. Then Wembanyama, 29 points on the night, got a look at a 20-footer over Mitchell Robinson at the buzzer, per NBA.com. It bounced off the rim. We won 105-104, and I didn't breathe for about four minutes.

Game 4 at the Garden was the full haunted house. The Spurs led by 27 at halftime and 81-52 in the third quarter, per the AP. No team had come back from more than 24 down in a Finals game in the play-by-play era. San Antonio made 11 of its first 16 threes, then went 3-of-17 from deep in the second half while we outscored them 58-30, per the AP. Wemby missed two free throws with 1:47 left. Castle put the Spurs back up with free throws with 30 seconds to go. Then, after Jose Alvarado nearly committed a backcourt violation before the final timeout, per the AP, Brunson's long three came up short and OG flicked it in with 1.2 seconds left. Knicks 107, Spurs 106. Brunson had 36 and Anunoby 33, per ESPN. Mike Brown called it "the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball," per the AP. I'm not going to argue.

Notice how both of those were won. When the threes stopped falling, it was the paint, the glass and two big wings who kept us alive. That's the balance I'm always going on about.

And the scary moment right now? A 2-4 start for the defending champs, after an 0-3 open and last night's 98-93 loss in Philadelphia where LeBron took the last 90 seconds. It's not Game 7 scary. It's more like hearing a noise in the basement. Get the paint touches back, clean up the turnovers and this one turns into a story we laugh about in June.

Catch up with the Morning After from Philly (https://knicks365.com/blog/knicks-76ers-recap-lebron-late-cup-opener-2-4), our 0-3 numbers breakdown (https://knicks365.com/blog/knicks-0-3-by-the-numbers-where-the-points-went) and yesterday's Sixers playoff throwback (https://knicks365.com/blog/knicks-76ers-playoff-memories-throwback). Happy Halloween, and see you at the Garden for the Nets on Monday.