Jalen Brunson returns, scores 26 as Knicks shut down Magic
Jalen Brunson of the Knicks reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the fourth quarter against the Magic at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
For some players, it might be a reality. The pregame workout to test an injury really might be a last-second decision. But for Jalen Brunson, it seems as if it is just a formality.
Testing his contused left knee about 90 minutes before Friday night’s game, Brunson showed little sign of the pain that had sidelined him 47 seconds into his last game and forced him to miss the next one. He had needed help to hobble off the court and into the locker room Sunday, throwing a scare into the Knicks’ fan base. But if he can go, Brunson will go. So when the starting lineup was announced Friday night at the Garden, he was back.
And maybe it was as simple as that for the Knicks — get Brunson back and get back on track. With their All-Star point guard in the lineup, the Knicks ran to an easy wire-to-wire 98-74 win over the Magic, pushing their way back in front of Orlando into fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The 74 points surrendered by the Knicks (37-26) marked the first time they’d held an opponent under 75 since April 13, 2012. It was the fewest allowed by any NBA team this season.
Brunson led the Knicks with 26 points in 28:42. Josh Hart had another night of doing a little of everything with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Precious Achiuwa added 15 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and five blocked shots and Deuce McBride had 14 points in 19:18 off the bench.
The Knicks again got a lead from their star and something from up and down the roster with the pieced-together lineup.
“You have nothing but respect for him because he does everything he can to get back,” coach Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson. “Two workouts a day, he’s on the floor. He’s pushing himself in practice. He gets there early, stays late. Goes through practice. Comes back at night, gets treatment. Works out again, then gets himself ready, doesn’t take any days off, and that’s why he can do the things he does.”
“A big boost,” Hart said of Brunson’s return. “We have guys that can fill the void, but it’s big to have him back, to get a good win against a good team, especially when there’s some tough games coming up. Hopefully we’ll get guys back and get back to the regularly scheduled programming.”
It was vital to have Brunson available against the Magic, who had beaten the Knicks all three times they’d faced off this season before Friday night. In two of those games, the Knicks didn’t have Brunson.
When he went down Sunday, it might have seemed as if this would be a long-term injury, something that could deal a serious blow to their playoff chances.
“I thought of a thousand different situations of what it could have been,” Brunson said. “And I’m just glad it wasn’t.”
With Brunson back, everything seemed to click as the Knicks took an 8-0 lead. By the end of the quarter, he had 10 points and seemed to show no ill effects from the injury. Behind Brunson’s 17 points, the Knicks opened a 16-point halftime lead.
The lead grew to 26 points in the second half, and Brunson finally called it a night when Hart soared in to slam home a follow dunk of Brunson’s miss with 3:13 left and the Knicks up by 23.
It was a relief for the Knicks and maybe a sign that with the standings tight and the playoffs not far off, they finally might be heading toward being healthy and ready for the final run.
“We haven’t been at full strength, but we’ve still got to find a way to get it done,’’ Thibodeau said before the game. “We have more than enough.”
That is the default statement for Thibodeau, but the Knicks — who were without four starters when they lost to the Hawks on Tuesday — actually might have enough shortly. Brunson is back and OG Anunoby seems to be close to a return to game action, as he has begun practicing fully with the team.
“Every game we have a chance to win,” Thibodeau said. “If we defend and we rebound and we take care of the ball, we’re going to be in position to win. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against, doesn’t matter where.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
