Scenes from another Brunson banger to win in the Second City

On Friday, the New York Knicks (47-32) could not recover from a 17-point first quarter and lost 108-100 to the Chicago Bulls (37-42). Tonight, they returned to the United Center for revenge.

The Knicks started strong, tonight, heavily incorporating OG Anunoby in scoring plays while he applied his usual stellar defense, and they won the quarter 36-27. Chicago fought back in the second period, and New York’s lead was 68-62 at halftime thanks to a Donte DiVincenzo buzzer-beater. Despite the Knicks reaching a 17-point lead in the third quarter, they headed into the final frame up 101-95. Tough play down the stretch by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart offset DeMar DeRozan’s sharpshooting and Alex Caruso’s irritations, and the Knicks left with the win, 128-117.

For Chicago, DeRozan’s statline was 34 points on 12-of-22 from the field, and Nikola Vucevic racked up 26 points on 12-of-16.

With the Orlando Magic losing to the Houston Rockets, the Knicks slid oh-so-neatly into third place in the Eastern Conference. With nearly a seven-man roster (and just 10 bench points), the Knicks registered 31 assists and shared the ball well tonight. Jalen Brunson logged his tenth 40+ game of the season, scoring 45 points and eight assists on 13-of-24 shooting (7-of-12 from deep). OG Anunoby finished with 24 points on 10-of-18 from the floor (4-of-6 from deep), three boards, and a block. Josh Hart logged another double-double with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Gritty win. Now on to Boston.

First Half

Were the Knicks looking to get OG Anunoby’s motor running early? They ran four scoring plays through him to start the game, including two dunks and a three-pointer. As usual, Anunoby hounded the opponent’s best player on the other end. He stymied DeMar DeRozan and blocked at least one of his shots. He does it all, folks!

New York shot an impressive 13-of-20 from the field and 6-of-7 from deep in the first period. They moved the ball well, too—especially Jalen Brunson, who would finish with five first-half assists (and two steals). Their lead would reach 12 points before closing the quarter ahead 36-27.

Early in the second period, Andre Drummond suffered an ankle injury and exited the game in a wheelchair. He had 16 rebounds in Friday’s game against the Knicks, and he had two already in four minutes when he departed. We regret the injury . . . not weeping about the missed boards, though.

The Knicks’ defense went soggy and allowed some easy scores before Thibs called a timeout and tightened the bolts. After that, New York went on an 8-2 run to attain a 14-point lead, and Jalen Brunson scored at will over poor Alex Caruso. The Knicks’ shooting caught a chill as the Bulls turned up their defense and answered with a 10-1 run of their own. By the quarter’s end, Chicago pulled within three points before Donte DiVincenzo casually tossed off a 44-footer to give New York a 68-62 halftime lead.

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Coby White had 14 for Chicago. The Knicks had outshot the home team 57% to 51% and had hit 11 of their 21 three-point attempts. One note of concern: Anunoby, who had 12 first-half points, picked up his fourth personal foul about one minute before halftime. We were keen to see how Thibs would manage his usage in the second half.

Hey! Have they closed the voting for Dumbass of the Year or is there still time to nominate Torrey Craig?

Second Half

The Knicks picked up where they left off, still dishing and swishing but also playing soft interior defense. Jalen Brunson helped to push the Knicks out to a 17-point run, but their cement shoes allowed Chicago to chip away at the differential. Poor Thibs was reaching for his Rolaids, and the Knicks headed into the final frame up 101-95. Through three quarters, Chicago had won the battle for the points in the paint, 48-42, and second-chance points, 12-7.

Torrey Craig continued his knuckleheadery in the third quarter, committing an overzealous foul on Brunson and then protesting himself into a technical foul. Guys like that make us appreciate the Knicks’ roster all the more.

To start the fourth quarter, Miles McBride drove for two layups. His shot was off tonight, so going aggressively to the rim for points was an encouraging adjustment. He finished with seven points on 3-of-10 shooting in 22 minutes.

Josh Hart was ejected early from Friday’s game due to a nearly impossible-to-replicate jujitsu kick to the back of Javonte Green’s head. Dealing with a sprained wrist, Hart was quiet in the first half but contributed timely buckets and major effort plays in the fourth. He finished the game with a team-high plus/minus of +16 and another double-double. With the Bulls hanging around in single digits and some of his teammates playing sloppy ball (looking at you Divo), Hart was a fervent force to help lead them down the stretch. Final score, 128-117.

Up Next

We’ll see these Bulls again on Sunday in the season finale. For now, our heroes go to Boston for a whack at the Celtics. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score