Jalen Brunson is grilling Jose Alvarado and wants him to know about it
The New York Knicks the big move at the NBA trade deadline was the acquisition Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Dallen Terry and two second-round picks. Alvarado’s importance to the Knicks none was more evident than during the team’s 108-106 win against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. After the game, the Knicks star Jalen Brunson he hilariously retorted he never paid attention Jose Alvarado as an opponent, according to SNItv.
“He’s more fun to play with,” Brunson said. “Against him, I didn’t really know he was on the other team. You can tell him I said that too.”
Joking aside, Alvarado’s impact in the win against the Rockets cannot be overstated. Alvarado probably had the best defensive play of the game, sneaking up behind Rockets star Kevin Durant and releasing the ball in one of his patented cloaking moves. He then took the ball coast-to-coast and jumped for a layup over Tari Erson to cut Houston’s lead to two, 103-101.
Alvarado played a total of 20 minutes off the bench and finished with eight points, one rebound, four assists and five steals. He shot 3 of 9 from the field and was 2 of 5 from the 3-point line.
Since the trade, Alvarado has appeared in five games for the Knicks as a backup point guard, logging just over 20 minutes per game. He is averaging career highs of 11.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.6 steals on 42.6 percent shooting from the field, 37.5 percent from the 3-point line and 66.7 percent from the free throw line.
Undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Alvarado has played his entire career to this point with the Pelicans. Now, he can help the Knicks make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
2026-02-22 17:34:00
