Ultimately, it wasn’t enough.
Not the 41 points. Not the five made 3-pointers. Not the 45 gutty minutes he played.
Jalen Brunson was heroic in defeat for the Knicks on Friday night, two days after he played every second in a season-saving win.
He couldn’t extend the season any longer, however, is first year in orange and blue ending at Kaseya Center in a heartbreaking, 96-92 loss to the Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Brunson did everything he could, on a night when his teammates mostly didn’t have it.
He made 14 of 22 shots. The rest of the Knicks were 13-for-49.
He scored 15 first-quarter points as the Knicks raced out to a 31-17 advantage and he made one big shot after another to keep his team within shouting distance as the Heat tried to pull away.
“You dig into it, he’s one of the best players in the league,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He shows that every night that he goes out there.
“I’ve watched this kid since he was 6 years old. Initially you don’t know how good someone will become. But every step of the way, he always got to the top of the mountain. He may not look the part but his will, his determination, his ability to think on his feet and his drive is special.”
It was an awesome postseason for Brunson, who averaged 27.8 points and 5.6 assists in 40.3 minutes per game, proving to be worth every penny of the four-year, $104 million deal the Knicks gave him last summer. After it was over, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he wished Brunson were still in the Western Conference.
“How is that dude not an All-Star or All-NBA?” the Heat coach wondered.
If Brunson was fatigued after his iron-man effort in Game 5, he hid it well, becoming the first Knick to produce three straight 30-point playoff performances since Patrick Ewing in 1990. Still, Brunson was hard on himself afterward, for what could’ve been.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks vs. Heat NBA playoff series
- Vaccaro: Knicks’ failure to help Brunson is why their season’s over
- Knicks battle but fall in season-ending Game 6 loss to Heat
- Knicks couldn’t survive two minutes without Brunson
- Brunson’s heroic night spoiled by late turnover
The Knicks were within two points and had possession with 30 seconds remaining. Brunson had the ball near the baseline when he tried to squeeze a pass inside to Julius Randle. Kyle Lowry was there to knock it away. Jimmy Butler then iced the game with two free throws, ending what was a memorable first season as a Knick for Brunson.
“Down two with the ball, I’ve got to give us a chance to even get a shot attempt,” he said. “That turnover is unacceptable.”
Brunson quickly became the Knicks’ leader, guiding them to a surprising 47-35 record and a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. He led them to their first playoff series win in a decade, further emerging as one of the sport’s premier league guards. He just came up a little short on Friday night.
“Really happy to be a part of this organization. New York has been amazing and the fans have been amazing,” Brunson said. “It’s been really a great experience for myself and my family. And I’m already excited about next year. It’s going to be fun. We have a lot to prove to each other as teammates. We’ve got to use this as we move forward.”