Knicks beginning to grasp Brown's system in routing Bulls
NEW YORK, United States — Jalen Brunson needed just 12 minutes to outscore the entire Chicago Bulls team. By halftime, the New York Knicks had matched a franchise record that had stood for nearly four decades.
Brunson erupted for 22 first-quarter points as the Knicks overwhelmed the Bulls, 135-105, Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time) at the Madison Square Garden.
New York poured in 84 points before halftime, tying the franchise record for most points in an opening half set against the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 18, 1988.
The Knicks improved to 4-4, winning four of their last five games after opening the season with three consecutive losses.
Brunson finished with 33 points in just 28 minutes, shooting 10-for-17 from the field and knocking down five 3-pointers.
But his opening-quarter explosion set the tone for one of New York's most dominant performances in recent memory.
The Knicks captain scored 22 of his team's 43 first-quarter points, single-handedly outscoring Chicago, which managed just 21.
It marked Brunson's 11th quarter with at least 20 points since joining New York, the most by any Knicks player since the NBA began tracking the statistic in 1996-97.
Knicks' historic first half shows progress under Brown
The Knicks followed their 43-point opening quarter with another 41 in the second, building an 84-52 halftime advantage.
For coach Mike Brown, the offensive outburst was more than a hot shooting night. It was evidence that his players were beginning to grasp the system he has been installing.
"We have staples, five staples offensively, and we were really good in all those areas," Brown said during his postgame news conference.
"Our pace, not just in the full court, was phenomenal, but in the frontcourt as well."
Brown praised New York's spacing, aggressive drives and quick decisions, noting that the Knicks generated approximately 12 passes out of the paint in the first half alone.
At times earlier this season, they had struggled to produce that many over an entire game.
"Not many guys held it, held it, held it, held it, so the defense can communicate and be set and wait on us," Brown said.
New York's lead eventually ballooned to 44 points in the third quarter, allowing Brown to rest his starters throughout the fourth.
Knicks shut down Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson
The defending champions were equally impressive defensively, particularly against Chicago's emerging rookie star Caleb Wilson.
Wilson, who entered the game averaging 21.6 points, was held to a season-low five points on 2-for-12 shooting, including 1-for-7 from beyond the arc.
It was the first single-digit scoring performance of his young NBA career.
The rookie forward had scored in double figures in each of his first six games, highlighted by a season-high 30 points against Washington on October 24.
He also scored 20 against the Knicks in Chicago's previous meeting with New York on October 28 and entered Wednesday's rematch coming off consecutive outings of 23 and 24 points.
But the Knicks never allowed him to establish an offensive rhythm.
Chicago shot just 10-for-44 from 3-point range, a sharp contrast to its perimeter success in the teams' previous encounter.
Brown singled out OG Anunoby as New York's top defensive performer while praising the collective effort.
"They kicked our behind in transition out in Chicago, and they scored six points tonight. That was big," Brown said.
Anunoby also contributed 18 points on the offensive end.
Towns extends double-double streak
Karl-Anthony Towns continued his impressive start with 17 points and 12 rebounds in just 25 minutes.
The five-time All-Star shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including two 3-pointers, while recording his eighth consecutive double-double to open the season.
According to ESPN Insights, it was the longest such streak by a Knicks player since Charles Oakley accomplished the feat during the 1989-90 season.
New York also received 53 points from its reserves, with Jordan Clarkson and Dalton Knecht contributing 10 apiece.
Brown keeps playoffs in mind despite Brunson's hot hand
Despite Brunson's blistering start, Brown never considered extending his captain's playing time simply to see how many points he could score.
Brunson played the entire first quarter, but Brown said protecting his star guard from unnecessary fatigue was more important than chasing individual records.
"He's mentally tough, physically tough, and he can push himself to go," Brown said.
Brown acknowledged Brunson could handle 36 to 38 minutes on a given night, but repeatedly pushing him that hard could have consequences later in the season.
"At the end of the day, it's gonna impact him, in my opinion, come playoff time," Brown said. "So I have to be conscious of not going to the well too much, especially at this point in the season."
On a night when Brunson had the Bulls outscored all by himself after one quarter, the Knicks had the luxury of thinking beyond November.
New York will look to build on its momentum when it visits the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).
--
Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for US-based publication Heavy.com.
- Latest
- Trending
