Jalen Brunson was compared to Michael Jordan and Mariano Rivera on Friday morning's edition of Get Up. The comparisons came the morning after Brunson scored 40 points and hit a series-clinching three-pointer in the final seconds of Game 6 of the New York Knicks' first-round matchup with the Detroit Pistons.
The Knicks are now headed to the second round for the third straight season. The franchise had only been that far in the postseason once in the previous two decades so you can understand why everyone is so excited right now.
On Get Up Mike Greenberg compared Brunson to Michael Jordan, using a text from a friend that simply said, "Jordan-esque" as his jumping off point.
"We understand it's not Game 6 of the NBA Finals," said Greenberg. "It's Game 6 of the first round, but it is, by Knicks standards, it's a pretty big moment."
Jay Williams agreed saying, "tactically, it is a more difficult shot," than the one Jordan hit over Byron Russell in the 1998 NBA Finals.
Then ESPN and MSG's Alan Hahn compared Brunson to an athlete less likely to make New Yorkers sad.
"He has become what New York remembers Mariano Rivera, as the greatest closer in the history of baseball, closing games," said Hahn. "Enter Sandman. They might as well play that after a timeout with under 10 seconds to go if the Knicks have the ball. Because you know who's getting it. And there's nothing you can do about it."
Imagine who he'll be compared to if the Knicks actually make a conference final.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN Compares Jalen Brunson to Two Sports Legends After Game-Winner vs. Pistons.