All-Star Knicks guard Jalen Brunson has been named the 2024-25 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year, the league has announced.
Per the NBA, the 6-foot-1 Villanova alum averaged 5.6 points — the most in the league in clutch situations — on 51.5% shooting across 28 clutch games for New York this season. The Knicks went 17-11 in those bouts.
Clutch games are defined as games played where the score is within five points, during either the fourth quarter’s last five minutes or an overtime period.
The honor was voted upon by a global panel of 100 journalists and media experts, the NBA adds. Brunson beat out, in order, three-time MVP Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, All-NBA Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, All-Star Hawks guard Trae Young and All-NBA Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
Brunson had a stellar year overall, beyond just the ends of games. In 65 healthy regular season contests, the 28-year-old logged averages of 26.0 points, 7.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds a night. Brunson notched a slash line of .488/.383/821. Along with center Karl-Anthony Towns, Brunson served as the offensive fulcrum of a 51-31 Knicks squad that finished the year as the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed.
Prior to winning the award this year, Brunson had finished among the top five in voting for Clutch Player of the Year honors in each of the prior two seasons, as well.
