Knicks Star Excelled With Big Minutes in Preseason Closer

Despite the lack of stakes, Jalen Brunson was a busy bee for the New York Knicks in their preseason finale against the Charlotte Hornets.

Brunson played just under 34 minutes in the weekend-opening 113-108 win that closed out the Knicks' 2025 exhibition slate, leading all participants with 31 points on 12-of-25 from the field. It was New York's last tune-up before things get real when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit next week.

While the unexpectedly sizable output had some fans believing that the minutes-heavy Tom Thibodeau was back in the head coach's spot, Brunson was perfectly fine with working for the weekend.

"This is the best type of experience you can get," Brunson said in video from SNY. "You can do all the stuff in practice you want or whatever but as much as you try to simulate, it's not game reps. Games reps are always important."

Though the Knicks (4-1) more or less marketed the Charlotte game as a dress rehearsal for regular season play, Brunson was a little lonely in the starting five: New York rested regular men OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, and Karl-Anthony Towns due to minor ailments, leaving Brunson and Mikal Bridges as the only regular starters on the Madison Square Garden hardwood.

Brunson set the tone early, scoring 15 points in the opening period, most of it earned through a quartet of three-pointers. His ultimate highlight of the night perhaps came in the second when he found Trey Jemison III on a behind-the-back pass on a drive that the two-way man placed in for two.

Brunson's night and preseason appeared to be over when he checked out toward the end of the third, but he wound up playing the final 7:41 when Charlotte ate away at a New York led that summitted at 17. It allowed Brunson to get a head start on defending his Clutch Player of the Year title, kickstarting a 12-2 run with a driving double and assists on threes for Miles McBride and Landry Shamet.

Having sat him out of the prior preseason posting, Knicks head coach Mike Brown was pleased to see what he got out of Brunson in an extended opportunity.

"It's going to take some time for us to really, really click," said Brown, per Ben Krimmel of SNY. "But you could see there are signs of it when we play with pace, not just in the full court, but naturally in the half court when the floor is spaced in the right way and we can get some easy shots, based on the talent that we have on this team if we keep the game simple and it starts with Jalen having a good feel, which he does, and just playing basketball from there."

Daryl Dixon Season 3 Quietly Confirms This Piece of Walking Dead Lore Is Still Terrifying 15 Years Later

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has only had two episodes in Season 3, but it has already rejuvenated fans' faith in the controversial

Walking Dead spin-offs. These couple of episodes have been thrilling, emotionally provocative, and an amazing world-building experience for the post-apocalyptic world. This season has also embraced previous tropes that have been pushed to the background, such as walkers being a true threat that the characters are thwarted by.

One of the most interesting details about Daryl Dixon Season 3 is how the storyline represents the personalities of two long-running main characters. Though the viewers know these characters well after so many years in the franchise, these installments introduce new sides of their personalities as well as remind the viewers of their core beliefs and priorities. In the latest episode of the spin-off, fans are reminded that the titular character is more frightening than he has been represented in the last couple of seasons.

Daryl Dixon Is Known For Being Subtly Selfish

At the beginning of The Walking Dead series, Daryl Dixon was one of the biggest mysteries to solve, appearing as someone the others couldn't quite trust due to his harsh personality, while also being one of the most capable survivors. After the first couple of seasons, when the viewers were very familiar with the main characters, there were ample reasons to love Daryl Dixon, including his dedication to protecting his loved ones. On the other hand, it's hard to overlook that Daryl was one of the people who put his group over all else, even if it meant risking other people's lives.

The behavior began earlier in the flagship series, with one key example being in Season 3 when he voted to send the remaining prisoners away from the prison, recognizing that these men might be good people, but was willing to let them die to protect his own family. Though he began to trust strangers more after they arrived in Alexandria, each conflict made Daryl more wary of others and more willing to do terrible things. This was clear during the Saviors' War in Season 8 when Daryl wanted to use guns and explosives to end the villainous group, even though this would result in the death of all the innocent workers inside the Sanctuary.

Many of the long-running characters, including Rick, Maggie, and Carol, are known for this selfishness, which they developed to keep themselves and loved ones alive in a violent and unpredictable world. On the other hand, many viewers overlook these details because the heroes are so beloved that their faults are disregarded as a necessary evil. These character details are crucial to their development and personalities, however, and demonstrate the complexity and nuance of the main characters. They don't necessarily make those like Daryl bad, but they make them realistic.

His Demeanor Changed In the Spin-Off

At the start of the spin-off, Daryl, during his attempt to find Rick, ended up stranded in France, and he made it his mission to get back home to his community and people, initially rejecting getting involved in anything that would stall his journey. However, in contrast to his storyline throughout

The Walking Dead, his voyage quickly became less about his loved ones and more about the people he met while he was away from home. After he met Isabelle and Laurent, it didn't take long for Daryl to dedicate his life to his new allies, putting off his mission to get home to ensure their safety.

Daryl had always been a dedicated man, not wavering in his loyalty to his group even when he didn't agree with their decisions, but this well-known personality trait changed after he journeyed to France. Though viewers were often reminded that he wanted to get back home, most of the first couple of seasons focused on Laurent's safety. For a while, viewers were wondering if he was going to completely give up on trying to find his way back to the U.S. and stay with Laurent and Isabelle. Even when he was reunited with Carol, and Isabelle died at The Nest, Daryl remained dedicated to Laurent and wouldn't make any decisions that didn't ensure the boy's safety and survival.

Though this seems consistent with his characterization, because he became so protective of his loved ones, it was shocking to witness the reserved and distrustful man so easily make connections with other people when it took him a long time to accept his found family. This was a major moment of growth for Daryl that made him realize he was capable of building relationships outside his tight-knit circle. However, once he was reunited with Carol and Laurent was safe, his journey once again became about getting back home, and his previous indifference to strangers was restored.

His Harsh World View Is Coming Back In Season 3

In the current season of Daryl Dixon, the titular character is more determined than ever to get back to the U.S., especially now that it means also bringing Carol back home. For this reason, Daryl's demeanor has gotten harsher, once again dismissing and disregarding strangers and their safety in favor of protecting those he cares about. The first example of this in Season 3 was when they met the supposed last Englishman in London, Julian, whom they convinced to sail them to Spain despite the danger of the journey.

Though they clearly cared about Julian and hoped he would be happy in the Commonwealth, especially compared to his solitary life in London, it was also obvious that they were willing to risk his life to get home. This is reiterated in the second episode of

Daryl Dixon Season 3, when Daryl and Carol encounter a young couple, and Daryl initially plans to steal from them. Though he saved them from a group of men who seemed ready to kill them, the hero then chose to hold them at gunpoint to lead him and Carol to their village, so Carol could receive the medical care she needed.

As the episode went on, Daryl, despite being disturbed by some of the things going on in the Spanish village, insisted that nothing was their problem besides finding a way to fix their boat and head home. This doesn't necessarily go against his previous characterization, but it is a drastic change compared to the decisions he made in Season 1 and Season 2. In this latest addition to the spin-off, the show is reminding viewers that, despite all of Daryl's lovable qualities, he's still a long-running survivor who is capable of doing horrible things to protect himself and his family.

This Is a Reminder of Why Daryl Is as Frightening as He Is Lovable

When The Walking Dead first aired, many viewers quickly grew attached to Daryl Dixon, but others dismissed him as a basic stereotype that was being overhyped by a loud fanbase. However, as the show progressed, these opinions on Daryl were proven wrong as his character developed, and he became one of the most complex personalities in the universe. He is known for having a surprisingly soft side, especially when it comes to his long-running allies, but viewers also appreciated that he had a harsh, unapproachable exterior.

One detail viewers pointed out about the first couple of seasons of Daryl Dixon was that the titular character became more vulnerable and expressive with his emotions and desires, especially during his brief romance with Isabelle. On the other hand, not every fan enjoyed this plotline, believing Daryl was more entertaining as a rough redneck who sparingly expresses what's going on inside his head. In the new season, Daryl is comfortable expressing himself to his longest friend, Carol, but is embracing his previous stoic demeanor towards those he meets during their journey.

Given how Daryl has been portrayed in the spin-off, it's easy to forget that this beloved character gained popularity for being a brazen man who prides himself on his simplistic perspective on the world. Now, the newest season of

Daryl Dixon is reminding viewers that he can be as terrifying as he can be endearing, especially when faced with protecting his loved ones. When he's as likely to heroically save someone in need as let them die, Daryl represents the darkest and most complicated aspects of

The Walking Dead franchise.