Rick Carlisle had a classy message for Jalen Brunson after the Pacers’ win over the Knicks

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle had a lot to do to contain New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson.

Brunson has been one of the main reasons the Knicks have had so much success in the playoffs, despite the team dealing with numerous injuries throughout the rotation.

Carlisle coached Brunson in Dallas before leaving and taking the Pacers job, so he is no stranger to how good a player Brunson is.

“He’s a great player. He’s a winner,” Carlisle began. “He had a lot of big nights when I was there with him. The next year, after I left, he had a lot of big nights there. I know if he had stayed in Dallas, he would have been a big part of what they were going to do going forward and he would have made it work at a very, very high level. He’s so interested in what’s good about our game. a great leader. He’s a great team guy.

While there is a lot of respect between Carlisle and Brunson, that will all be put aside for Sunday’s Game 7 between the Knicks and Pacers. The winner will face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, which begin Tuesday at TD Garden.