Knicks' Jalen Brunson contributes to win over Suns after being sidelined for 15 games
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) handles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the first half, Sunday, April 6, 2025. Credit: Noah K. Murray
Thirty days, 15 games and some big-time offensive performances from his teammates.
That’s what Jalen Brunson missed as he recovered from the right ankle sprain he suffered on March 6.
The Knicks’ captain returned to the floor on Sunday night and received a loud ovation from a Madison Square Garden crowd that hopes he can quickly return to the All-Star form he displayed before the injury.
Brunson clearly has some rust to scrape off. Though the Knicks were able to beat the Phoenix Suns, 112-98, he shot 3-for-9 and had 15 points and six assists in 34:27.
Instead, it was OG Anunoby — who emerged as an offensive star with Brunson out of the lineup — who again finished as the leading scorer. He had 32 points, including 19 in the third quarter, shot 13-for-17 and went 6-for-8 from three-point range. Mikal Bridges scored 22 and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Devin Booker had 40 points for the Suns (35-43).
“I think the sky is the limit,” Anunoby said. “We are a really tough team and we are just getting ready for the playoffs.”
The Knicks (50-28) are a win or an Indiana Pacers loss away from clinching the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The win marked the first time in 30 years that the Knicks posted consecutive 50-win seasons (they were 50-32 last season). They won 57 games in 1993-94 and 55 in 1994-95.
Brunson said his performance “could have been better, could have been worse.”
“A lot of room for improvement on my end,” said Brunson, who is averaging 26.1 points and 7.4 assists in 62 games. “I think mentally, it’s just making sure that I can just trust myself in everything I do. Everyone always talks about the physical part and how you are feeling. But mentally, it’s just trusting it, trusting the way you play and not second-guessing yourself. That was an adjustment, but I’m feeling better.”
Tom Thibodeau liked what he saw from Brunson, considering he hadn’t played in a month.
“Good for the first game back,” he said. “He hit a late shot. Got to the foul line. I thought he found some rhythm by getting to the line and attacking the basket. So that was a real positive.”
The Knicks have been in third place in the Eastern Conference since mid-December. They went 9-6 in Brunson’s absence, and the increased offensive production of Anunoby is a big reason why.
The 6-7 wing averaged 23.2 points and 16.8 field-goal attempts per game in the 15 games without Brunson. In 56 games before Brunson’s injury, Anunoby averaged 16.5 points and 13.0 shots per game. In the past eight games, he is averaging 28.5 points.
“He’s been playing unbelievable these past couple of weeks,” Brunson said. “ . . . Everyone knew what he could do defensively. Offensively I think he’s taken a step forward, just the way he’s been playing. He’s always had that and I think he’s been showcasing it.”
Can Anunoby still contribute that level of offensive production now that the Knicks’ ball-dominant point guard has returned?
Thibodeau made it clear after the Knicks’ win in Atlanta on Saturday that he doesn’t even think the issue merits discussion.
“All that stuff, that stuff, it’s white noise,” he said. “The game tells you what to do. Whose shot is it in transition? The open man. And if there’s two defenders on somebody, whose shot is it? You have the responsibility as a primary scorer to make the right play. The notion that it has to be this way, that way, there has to be a willingness to sacrifice by everybody.
“The team has to come first. What’s best for our team? What gives the team the best chance to win? And that’s all anyone should be thinking about. They shouldn’t be thinking about who’s doing this, who’s doing that. That’s not the way this game works. If you care about winning, that stuff shouldn’t matter.”
The Knicks have four games left in the regular season, including games against Boston and Cleveland, the two top teams in the Eastern Conference. It’s a short runway, but they clearly are pumped to have everyone healthy and on the floor again.
Said Anunoby: “It’s definitely great having everyone back.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
