The New York Knicks moved to 2-1 in their current five-game road trip and exacted revenge on the Chicago Bulls with a 128-117 victory on April 9. The Bulls notched a 108-100 win in the previous meeting on April 5.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson had 35 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, and two steals.
He wasn’t efficient, shooting 46.4% from the floor and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc with five turnovers in the first contest.
Brunson was a force in the penultimate meeting between the two teams this regular season, finishing with 45 points on 54.2% shooting and knocking down seven of his 12 looks from the outside.
He also dished out eight assists and hauled in three rebounds.
“Hats off to them. They’re very physical, they’re a really good team, they play to their identity,” Bulls guard Coby White told reporters on April 9. “Brunson’s a m***********.”
Brunson started the game hot, scoring 15 points in the first quarter alone.
“Mentality stays the same. approach stays the same,” Brunson said during his walkoff interview. “But we knew that they got us last time we were here, and we needed a bounce back. Now, they’re going to play hard the entire game and they’re not going to quit and that’s just how Billy [Donovan] has them playing.
“Despite the record and whatever, they got some guys over there that just play hard non-stop. So got to give them a lot of credit. So we knew we had to bring our A-game, and just found a way to win.”
The Knicks host the Bulls in the regular season finale on April 14. That is their final meeting of the 2023-24 campaign barring an extended run in the postseason from both clubs.
Brunson is the NBA’s leading scorer over the last two weeks, averaging 35.9 points on 60.8% true shooting with 8.2 assists and 3.4 boards. It’s a much stronger finish to the season than at this point last season as he managed a hand injury.
His strong play has drawn plenty of praise, including from his NBA brethren.
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