Once more, Jalen Brunson did it.
Forty-plus points is just another day in the office for him right now, as he is going on one of the best individual offensive runs in Knicks history.
In Tuesday’s 128-117 victory over the Bulls, the point guard finished with 45 points and eight assists in a magnificent performance.
The Bulls were left frustrated by their own boneheaded plays — including an all-time gaffe in the second quarter — but also couldn’t stop the Knicks star.
After the victory, the Knicks had a magic number of 1 to guarantee their playoff berth. Miami’s loss on Tuesday would have guaranteed the Knicks a berth in the Eastern Conference’s top six, but the Heat prevailed in double overtime in Atlanta.
Nevertheless, the Knicks looked decent after a demanding NBA schedule night. They surpassed the Magic, who were defeated by the Rockets, to take the third position in the East. The Bucks, who defeated the Celtics despite losing Giannis Antetokounmpo to a serious calf injury, are still one game ahead of them.
Three of the last four games have been won by the Knicks (47-32) and Brunson is destroying defenses.
“This is a top-10 to -12 player in the NBA this season,” JJ Redick said on his podcast, ‘The Old Man And the Three.’ “I think there is legitimate buzz about him creeping in the top five of the MVP voting. He’s been that good this year. He was phenomenal last year. He’s been even better this year. He has, along with [Tom Thibodeau] and that group, sans [Julius] Randle, they have figured out a counter for every coverage. And it’s been phenomenal to watch. I want to state clearly — if you think Jalen Brunson is a top-30 player, you are vastly underestimating him. He’s closer to that 10 to 15. And you could argue this season, probably a little bit higher.”
