Jalen Brunson goes up for a layup in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' Game 1 win on April 19, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post It’s gotta be the shoes, right? There has to be a reason ...

Jalen Brunson is out at least ... because Deuce McBride (groin) was a late pregame scratch. Cam Payne started in place of McBride, who filled Brunson’s shoes the last seven games.

Wait until Jalen Brunson gets back. That was the mantra, the nonstop refrain that Knicks fans repeated over and over again for nearly a month as they waited for their All-Star point guard to ...