Nick Nurse and the Philadelphia 76ers came into Game 2 with a clear mission: slow down Jalen Brunson. And for three quarters, it worked. The Knicks' star guard was held to a much more manageable night than his 35-point explosion in Game 1. But as Nurse himself admitted, sometimes "better" just isn't good enough.

Brunson still finished with 26 points, leading New York to a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. While the 76ers' defense was noticeably sharper, the fourth quarter told a different story. That's when Brunson took over, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to seal the win.

"He certainly wasn't getting near the clearance as he was in Game 1," Nurse said after the loss. "He was getting practice shots a lot in that game. I think the challenges were much better."

Coming off a grueling first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, Brunson knew he needed to elevate his game. So far, he's done exactly that—dominating early in Game 1 and stepping up late in Game 2. For the 76ers, the defensive adjustments were there, but the results weren't.

Now, the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. The 76ers will have home-court advantage and potentially a returning Joel Embiid. If they can maintain that defensive intensity and add some offensive firepower, they might just turn this series around.

For fans watching at home, one thing is clear: defending a star like Brunson takes more than a game plan. It takes execution, resilience, and a little luck. And sometimes, even that isn't enough.