Jalen Brunson sends key message to Knicks after ugly 0-3 start to title defense

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Jalen Brunson took responsibility for the New York Knicks‘ struggles after they fell to 0-3 this season following their 111-102 loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.

Brunson and New York started their title defense this season. He led the franchise to their first championship since 1973 after beating the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals.

However, the start to the campaign has been rough. They lost their first three contests to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics and the Magic. Brunson reflected on these struggles after the game, per ESPN.

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“Everything falls on my shoulders,” Brunson said, in reference to the Knicks’ potent offense sputtering in the opening days of the season. “I just gotta be a better leader when it comes to that, when it comes to our guys are ready to go in the right spots. There’s a lot of other little things, but it’s organization on my part.”

Brunson also revealed to reporters about the message he had shared with teammates in the locker room following the loss.

“Control what you can control… most importantly stick together,” Brunson said. “One thing I said throughout the entire training camp, and honestly to this day, is we’re going to see who we are within the first couple weeks of the season. So we’re hitting adversity now, how are we going to respond?”

Jalen Brunson talks about the message in the locker room after starting the season 0-3:

“Control what you can control… most importantly stick together.” pic.twitter.com/PuHRv0pXTF

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 26, 2026

How Jalen Brunson, Knicks played against Magic

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks have the talent to bounce back from their slow start to the season. However, as the reigning champions, opponents will have motivation to pull off upsets against them.

Jalen Brunson sends key message to

Four players scored in double-digits for New York in the loss, including Brunson. He led the squad with a stat line of 28 points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals, and one block. Karl-Anthony Towns came next with 22 points and 14 rebounds, OG Anunoby had 22 points and three rebounds, while Josh Hart provided 13 points and eight rebounds.

The Knicks will continue the search for their first win. They remain at home when they host the Detroit Pistons as tip-off starts on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. ET.

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