Pistons Star’s 3-Word Message To Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Goes Viral
Pistons Star's 3-Word Message To Knicks' Jalen Brunson Goes Viral
The tension between Detroit Pistons players and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has escalated during their first-round playoff series.
During Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, Pistons center Jalen Duren expressed visible frustration with Brunson’s playing style, delivering a profane three-word comment when Brunson fell during a drive to the basket.
“You flopping motherfu*ker”
– Jalen Duren to Brunson. 😭💀pic.twitter.com/rdGRSI3086
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) April 30, 2025
Duren’s reaction highlights growing resentment among Pistons players regarding what they perceive as excessive flopping by the Knicks guard. The dispute centers on Brunson’s free-throw opportunities, which have significantly increased during the playoff series compared to his regular season average.
Before Game 5, Brunson was averaging 9.0 free throw attempts per game in the series, substantially higher than his career-high regular season average of 6.9 attempts. These trips to the line have resulted in approximately 30 points from free throws alone through the first four games, fueling Detroit’s complaints.
Duren isn’t the only Pistons player to voice displeasure with Brunson’s style of play. Other team members have made public comments criticizing what they view as exaggerated contact to draw fouls.
The controversy extends beyond just flopping accusations. Brunson faced criticism for an incident in Game 3 involving an eye-poke on a Pistons player, further intensifying the animosity between the teams.
This friction between Brunson and the Pistons has become a significant subplot in the series. Fans at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena have joined the fray, directing vulgar chants at Brunson during home games, with audible boos whenever he possesses the ball.
The two-time All-Star guard’s playing style has clearly struck a nerve with both Pistons players and fans, adding an extra layer of intensity to the playoff matchup beyond the normal competitive atmosphere of postseason basketball.
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
