Jeff Teague suggested that the Knicks would have won if they switched coaches, claiming that Tom Thibodeau's style of coaching is "old" and that Brunson needed to emulate Stephen Curry's style of play.

This was not about a moral victory. It wasn’t about taking solace in anything after a hard-fought series. Jalen Brunson wanted to make that clear.

Brunson continued his hot-scoring nights into the series against the Pacers after knocking out the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He scored 43 points in Game 1 and followed up with 36 in Game 2. However, it wasn't enough, as the Knicks dropped the first two games.