Fatal careless error. Keon Ellis was looking around to see if a screen was coming. His defender literally frozen, Jalen Brunson instantly took advantage of the opportunity to penetrate and finish with his left hand and give his team a five-point lead with 40 seconds left on the Kings floor.
The Knicks leader had just finished another impressive offensive outing in style: 42 points on 17/28 shooting, including 5/10 from distance, with 4 interceptions and as many rebounds. “ You almost expect Jalen to do what he did. It's every night and it's important basket after important basket. Whenever you need it, it's there “, summarizes Tom Thibodeauin reference to the big end of the game of its leader.
His big game also allows him to make Knicks history. Author of 45 points Thursday against the Blazers, the New York leader continued with his 7th game of the year with 40 points or more. Above all, it was the second meeting in a row to pass this bar, which makes him the 4th player in the franchise to do so.
The last person to reach 40 points in two games in a row was Carmelo Anthony in February 2014. Before them, there were Hall of Famers Bernard King and Patrick Ewing.
Few free throws
In reaction, Jalen Brunson says to himself “ grateful, honored, but these guys have a bigger resume than mine, which I will never have. Hats off to them. I'm just trying to help my team win. » What he did brilliantly last night, in the heart of a very defensive game. He managed to outrun all his defenders, including players of his physical profile like Keon Ellis and De'Aaron Fox. Whether at 3-point or in the paint, where his support game still wreaked havoc, especially his “spin move”, he always found a way to score.
While he regrets having lost so many balls (6), his coach notices that he only obtained four free throws in the game. “ I don't want to give too much away, but he takes a lot of hits. And the best part is that he never complains about it. He doesn't cry, he continues and focuses on making the shot, which he did. He's tough, he'll find solutions, he knows how the game is called, he knows it's away, it's going to be tough. It doesn't slow him down », greets Tom Thibodeau.
| Jalen Brunson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | DAL | 73 | 22 | 46.7 | 34.8 | 72.5 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 9.3 |
| 2019-20 | DAL | 57 | 18 | 46.6 | 35.8 | 81.3 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 8.2 |
| 2020-21 | DAL | 68 | 25 | 52.3 | 40.5 | 79.5 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 12.6 |
| 2021-22 | DAL | 79 | 32 | 50.2 | 37.3 | 84.0 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 16.3 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 68 | 35 | 49.1 | 41.6 | 82.9 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 6.2 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 24.0 |
| 2023-24 | NYK | 61 | 35 | 47.5 | 40.0 | 84.4 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 6.5 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 27.2 |
| Total | 406 | 28 | 48.9 | 39.0 | 82.1 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 16.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
