What began out as a get-right recreation for the Knicks took a pointy U-turn when Brook Lopez blocked Jalen Brunson’s shot three minutes into the second half and Brunson instantly grabbed his shoulder, motioned to the bench and walked down the tunnel towards the locker room.
However after a short harm scare, he popped again out of the tunnel six minutes later, reentered the sport to “MVP” chants and picked up the place he left off — ending with 44 factors to safe his second 40-point recreation this season within the Knicks’ dominant 140-106 win over Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Bucks on Sunday on the Backyard.
Karl-Anthony Cities completed with 30 on environment friendly 10-for-16 capturing. Cameron Payne added 18 factors off the bench. The Knicks (26-14), lastly, snapped out of their 3-point funk and completed 5 factors shy of their season excessive.
Nonetheless, for these minutes with out Brunson, every part was in flux for the Knicks.
They’d already misplaced 4 of their previous 5 video games. Brunson, as their star level guard, stays the heartbeat of their offense, even after the addition of Cities. That unit was already struggling — particularly from past the arc — earlier than Sunday’s recreation. And their 2024-25 ledger mirrored that the Knicks, regardless of the fixed hype as contenders, continued to falter in opposition to the highest 4 groups in every convention even after a nine-game profitable streak that ended Jan. 3.
They took a step towards fixing that in opposition to the Bucks (20-17), who entered Sunday because the No. 4 seed within the Jap Convention.
Brunson, predictably, remained on the crux of that resolution, each earlier than and after going to the locker room. He erupted for 23 of the Knicks’ 36 factors within the first quarter, hitting 7 of 11 photographs, trying seven free throws and mixing 3s with photographs contained in the arc for a balanced mix of scoring that had been lacking in latest video games.
Then, when Brunson stayed on the bench to begin the second quarter, Cities took over.
Again on Nov. 8, when the Knicks cruised previous the Bucks of their first assembly of the season, Cities torched Lopez earlier than Doc Rivers — amid what he referred to as Milwaukee’s worst recreation of the season — switched Antetokounmpo onto Cities. That matchup labored within the Bucks’ favor once more to begin Sunday’s recreation, with Cities restricted to simply 5 factors within the opening quarter.
However by halftime, Cities had 18 factors. He stored driving with Antetokounmpo on the bench and Bobby Portis inheriting the defensive task. Brunson solely contributed 4 factors that body, however the Knicks didn’t want one other 23-point burst. They nonetheless constructed a 13-point lead on the break.
A 17-3 run to begin the third helped put the sport away. It helped them survive with Brunson again within the locker room, after which he poured within the remaining baskets of his newest gem after returning.
This time, the Knicks didn’t blow a double-digit lead in opposition to a staff that may very well be contending when the calendar flips to Could and June. This time, they weren’t booed off their dwelling courtroom in opposition to a type of groups, both.
This, for one recreation, regarded slightly bit nearer to regular. Brunson checked out of the sport with greater than 5 minutes left within the fourth, with the harm scare fading and the “MVP” chants echoing by way of the Backyard and the Knicks, lastly, resembling the model that carried their nine-game profitable streak.