The New York Knicks’ Game 4 playoff victory over the Atlanta Hawks turned into a family feud on Saturday night.
The Knicks beat the Hawks 114-98 at State Farm Arena to level up the series at 2-2 in the first round of the NBA playoffs at the weekend.
However, it wasn’t entirely plain sailing for New York as tensions appeared to boil over for one of its biggest stars.
During the fourth quarter, Jalen Brunson was captured in a tense exchange with his father, Knicks assistant Rick Brunson.
Despite the Knicks having already established a dominant lead, the pair were seen almost coming to blows on the sidelines.
The father-and-son duo were caught in a heated exchange, animatedly gesturing at one another.
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson was caught in a heated exchange with his dad, Rick
They yelled at each other and waved their arms back and forth before the younger Brunson walked away, breaking off the confrontation.
It is unclear what they were saying as the younger Brunson held up a towel to his face, while his dad covered his mouth with his hand to conceal their words.
Yet, when asked about the altercation following the game, Jalen bizarrely brushed the encounter off.
‘There’s no debate there,’ he told reporters when asked what the debate was about, adding: ‘That was two competitors.’
Jalen struggled with his shot throughout the game, finishing with 19 points on 7-for-18 shooting from the field and 3-for-7 shooting from three-point range. He also committed six turnovers.
He also exited the game during the third quarter when Dyson Daniels fell on his ankle while fighting for a loose ball.
He headed to the locker room before returning later in the quarter with his confrontation with his father following in the fourth.
Karl-Anthony Towns had his first postseason triple-double, OG Anunoby scored 22 points and the Knicks recovered after back-to-back losses to beat the Hawks.
Brunson and the Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 114-98 in Game 4 to level up the series at 2-2
Towns had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The 11th-year All-Star became the fourth Knicks player to record a triple-double in a playoff game, joining Walt Frazier, Dick McGuire and Josh Hart.
The Knicks host Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, and the series is now guaranteed to return to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday.
New York took control midway through the first quarter and maintained the lead for the rest of the game. The Knicks held a 68-44 advantage at halftime and extended that lead to 20 points by the end of the third quarter.
‘Obviously, we didn’t win Game 3, but I think the way we played in the second half as a team propelled us to play the way we did tonight,’ Brunson said after the game. ‘We’re trying to continue to push that forward.’
