Jalen Brunson All-NBA honors adds to excellent Knicks season

Add another accolade to the breakout season Jalen Brunson just orchestrated at Madison Square Garden.

Brunson, who became a first-time All-Star for the Knicks this season, just added his first All-NBA nod  to the list.

Brunson is now the 16th player in Knicks franchise history to earn All-NBA honors. The others are Patrick Ewing (7-time honoree), Walt Frazier (6), Willis Reed (5), Richie Guerin (3), Julius Randle (2), Carmelo Anthony (2), Bernard King (2), Harry Gallatin (2), Carl Braun (2), Tyson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dave DeBusschere, Slater Martin and Dick McGuire.

The star Knicks guard joined Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard with Second Team All-NBA honors.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, three-time MVP and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, and Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comprised the All-NBA First Team.

Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, Lakers star Lebron James, Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton were named to Third Team All-NBA.

Brunson earned 37 First Team votes and 61 votes for Second Team but ultimately fell 59 points shy of Tatum, who secured the final First Team All-NBA spot with 65 First Team votes.

No other player named to the Second or Third Team earned more than three First Team votes.

Brunson averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists, both career-highs, and led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed despite critical injuries to Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.

He was the only player to average more than 27.1 points at an efficiency rate of 47.9% shooting from the field and 40.1% shooting from three-point range last season.

Brunson also averaged 35.5 points per game through the Knicks’ first-round playoff series victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. He etched his name into the record books in two playoff categories:

• Joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James as the only players in NBA history with five straight games of 30 points and five assists
•  Joining Jordan, Jerry West and Bernard King as the fourth player ever with four straight 40-point playoff performances

Brunson becomes extension-eligible this offseason and can re-sign with the Knicks on a four-year, $156 million deal that would keep him in New York through the 2028-29 season.

He has one more year left on his deal before he has the ability to decline the player option on the final year of his contract to test free agency.

Brunson’s season ended in Game 7 of the Knicks’ second-round series against the Pacers, when he left in the second half with a fractured left hand.

The Knicks announced the star guard underwent surgery to repair the fracture on May 22 and provided a six-to-eight-week recovery period before re-evaluation.

Here’s a list of the notable players who were ineligible for end-of-the-season awards for failing to meet the new criteria of at least 65 games played

Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies), Ben Simmons (Brooklyn Nets), LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) Randle (New York Knicks), Bradley Beal (Phoenix Suns), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz), Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks), Kristaps Porzingis (Boston Celtics), Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)