Jalen Brunson’s reputation as one of the NBA’s most reliable clutch performers received another endorsement from veteran forward P.J. Tucker, who said he would choose the New York Knicks star over reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Appearing on Fanatics Fest, Tucker explained why Brunson stands above the Oklahoma City Thunder guard in his eyes despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s dominant regular-season production.
“I’m rolling with JB for sure,” Tucker said. “JB’s so clutch, bro. It ain’t even like I think that he’s like a 90’s era player, bro. And people don’t see it like that because he don’t talk a lot and he don’t do too much, but everybody, like when you on his team and you on the bench, you over there like he’s getting the ball, bro. Like he’s going to — if he’s not shooting, he’s making the play every single time. And it’s a lot of teams in this league that got stars and all that and they do not want the moments.”
Tucker’s comments come after Brunson capped a historic 2025-26 campaign by leading the Knicks to their first NBA championship since 1973. New York finished 53-29, the third seed in the Eastern Conference, before sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals and defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games to capture the title.
Brunson averaged 26.0 points, 6.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds during the regular season while earning his third consecutive All-Star selection and a second straight All-NBA Second Team honor. He shot 46.7% from the field and averaged just 2.4 turnovers despite carrying one of the league’s highest offensive workloads.
His postseason production reached another level. Across 19 playoff games, Brunson averaged 28.4 points, 6.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 46.5% from the field. He also delivered in the biggest moments, helping New York complete the largest comeback in NBA Finals history in Game 4 before closing out the Spurs in Game 5. Brunson was named Finals MVP after averaging 28.4 points throughout the playoffs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued his ascent as one of basketball’s elite two-way stars. The Thunder guard won his second consecutive MVP award after averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting a career-best 55.3% from the field and posting a remarkable 59.7% effective field goal percentage.
Oklahoma City also finished with the NBA’s best regular-season record at 64-18. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals, where they pushed the eventual conference champion Spurs to seven games before falling short.
Over five career postseason appearances, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 26.2 points, 6.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 61 playoff games. During the 2026 playoffs, he posted 27.6 points and 7.9 assists per game, though Oklahoma City’s championship hopes ended one round before the Finals.
Statistically, Gilgeous-Alexander owns the stronger regular-season résumé. He has averaged at least 30 points in four consecutive seasons, captured back-to-back MVP awards and consistently ranks among the league leaders in efficiency and scoring.
Tucker, however, emphasized a different quality. His preference centered on Brunson’s composure in pressure situations and confidence that the Knicks star will consistently make the right decision when the game is on the line—traits that have become synonymous with New York’s championship run.
