Jalen Brunson was a man on a mission on Monday as he ensured that the New York Knicks were not going to go home empty-handed again against the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. have won all three matchups against the Knicks this season, including a lopsided 130-111 win at the Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
That streak ended on Christmas Day thanks in large part to Brunson’s massive performance.
Jalen Brunson Torches Milwaukee Bucks
Brunson went off against the Bucks on Monday, dropping a game-high 38 points on 15-of-28 shooting. The 6-foot-2 combo guard added four rebounds, six assists, a triple, a steal, and zero turnovers in 37 minutes of action.
After the game, Brunson sounded off on his team’s massive win over their Eastern Conference foes, and how special it is to finally score a victory against the mighty Bucks.
“We’ve struggled against this team throughout this year and the fact that we came out with a win today, it’s special,” Brunson said, via Jamal Collier of ESPN. “I like the way we had a lead no matter how much they cut the lead down. We stayed poised and figured out a way to keep it and win.”
It wasn’t just Milwaukee’s three-game win streak against the Knicks that was ended today. New York also handed the Bucks their first loss in eight games to put an end to Milwaukee’s scorching-hot run.
Team Effort
Brunson got a lot of help from his teammates in this one, too. Five other Knicks players scored in double digits, with three of them dropping at least 20 points. Julius Randle (24), RJ Barrett (21), and Immanuel Quickley (20) all helped Brunson out with the heavy lifting in the win.
“We had a lot of guys in double figures and a lot of assists,” Quickley said. “It was fun to play like that when everybody is moving and touching [the ball]. I think our defense really bled into our offense, so that has got to be the way every night.”
At the end of the day, however, it was Brunson’s leadership that carried the Knicks through.
“Had a little bit more energy today now and it showed … from start to finish,” Brunson said.
New York has now improved to 17-12, and is currently tied with the Miami Heat for the fifth spot in the East.
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