Nick Nurse drops eye-opening assessment of 76ers’ Game 2 defense vs. Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson lit up the Philadelphia 76ers with 26 points in the New York Knicks’ Game 2 win. That type of night would anger most opposing head coaches including Nick Nurse especially during the NBA Playoffs.

Yet Nurse dropped an eye-opening assessment of Philly’s defensive effort against NYK’s top scorer. Nurse surprisingly called the 76ers’ plan against Brunson “above average” in addressing reporters postgame.

“He certainly wasn’t getting near the clearance as he was in Game 1. He was getting practice shots a lot in that game. I think the challenges were much better,” Nurse said.

Nick Nurse says the 76ers did an "above average" job defending Jalen Brunson:

"He certainly wasn't getting near the clearance as he was in Game 1. He was getting practice shots a lot in that game. I think the challenges were much better." pic.twitter.com/cvEFxOIihU

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

Brunson still went 9-of-21 from field goal range. He dished out six assists and grabbed one steal on the defensive side.

Nurse praised the defensive energy, but still watched Brunson hit this pullup jumper late in the fourth quarter.

Jalen Brunson DRILLS the pull-up jumper to give the Knicks a 2-point lead

He has 22 points so far tonight! pic.twitter.com/q7F0sY7URi

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 7, 2026

New York exploded with hitting 137 points to start the second round series. Nurse watched NYK bury 63.1% of its field goals including hitting 51.4 from behind the arc. Nurse’s new approach led to the Knicks hitting only 50.6% of their baskets, but 26.9% from 3-point land. Still, the Sixers crumbled late and now finds themselves down 2-0.

“We played good enough defense to win that game, especially in the fourth. Holding them to 19 in the fourth, you’ve got to hope you can score more than 20 in a quarter,” Nurse added.

"We played good enough defense to win that game, especially in the 4th. Holding them to 19 in the 4th, you've got to hope you can score more than 20 in a quarter."

– Nick Nurse pic.twitter.com/NLluDj0FhY

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

Turnovers buried the 76ers inside Madison Square Garden with Philadelphia committing 18 total. New York scored 23 points off those miscues.

Nurse likely must tweak the interior defense too, even with Joel Embiid a scratch for this contest due to hip and ankle injuries. New York piled 56 points in the paint compared to Philly’s 30.

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