Jalen Brunson denies he has extra motivation to beat ex-coach Rick Carlisle in series

As the New York Knicks face off against the Indiana Pacers, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that Jalen Brunson played 10 minutes in a Game 7 Mavericks loss only three years ago when Rick Carlisle coached Brunson and the rest of the squad.

Ahead of the series where Carlisle is coaching against Brunson and his teammates in a playoff series, the star told SNY Knicks he has no "extra motivation" to win the series.

The star continued by saying that "the past is the past."

"Rick welcomed me into his league and helped me grow from day one," Brunson continued.

After losing to the 2021 Clippers in seven games, the Mavericks parted ways with Rick Carlisle. Brunson played his final year for the Mavericks the following season going to the New York Knicks after Dallas lowballed him in free agency.

The New York Knicks come into this series after beating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Brunson averaged 35 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the floor. The Knicks were expected to beat a Philly team that needed to win a play-in game to get into the playoffs altogether.

On the other hand, the Indiana Pacers were able to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. While the Pacers played extremely well, the franchise got a gift in the fact that Damian Lillard's status was questionable most of the series with an Achilles injury. Lillard's injury woes combined with the loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo gave Indiana a noticeable edge.

With the Pacers ready to fight against Jalen Brunson and the rest of the Knicks for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, it's worth wondering if Brunson will be able to rise to the occasion once again.

Is Jalen Brunson primed to have a great series against the Pacers and Rick Carlisle?

Considering Damian Lillard had an amazing series from the point guard position despite his injury woes, it's easy to assume Brunson will do the same against Indiana. After two tough games to start their first round series, the star guard was able to go off and have one of the best individual series in Knicks history.

While Indiana has a superstar to match on the offensive end with Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers most likely don't have someone to defend Brunson as currently constructed. Even though Indiana has a great chance to win this series, New York should be favored with the amount of offensive ammo that they have.

With the Knicks being favored, Brunson didn't want the Pacers to have any added motivation going into this series. Taking the high road was the right call.