Despite the absence of All-Star forward Julius Randle for the first time this season, the Knicks were able to pull off perhaps one of their best wins of the year on Friday night.
New York went back and forth in a high-scoring affair with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but ultimately pulled off the 130-116 victory. Cavs shooting guard Donovan Mitchell dropped 42 points, but it ultimately wasn’t enough as Jalen Brunson was even better.
The star point guard carried the Knicks on his back, putting up 40+ points for the fifth time this season, with a career-high 48. He also reeled in four rebounds and fell just one assist shy of a double-double.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau said postgame that he wasn’t surprised by Brunson’s masterful performance, it’s simply what he’s been doing all year.
“There’s nothing that he does that surprises you. It’s a testament to how tough-minded he is. He’s so mentally tough, particularly when he has adversity. He’s nicked up a little bit but he’s a machine, he just keeps going,” Thibodeau continued.
“I think that’s the best leadership you could have. The things that you do each and every day. It’s not phony, it’s not fake, it’s not disingenuous. That’s who he is. He’s authentic, he cares about the team, and he cares about winning.”
Brunson, who recently missed two games with a hand injury, credited his teammates and coaches for his big night.
“They make life easier for me and they have confidence in me. The ball just kept going through the holes and they just kept shooting me confidence,” he said. “Going out there in a rhythm like that definitely boosts your confidence.”
The All-Star snub is now averaging 24 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game in his first year in the Big Apple. While Brunson certainly was happy about the career-night, what was most important to him was New York’s ability to pull out the win.
“Any win you get you try to cherish it, wins are hard to come by in this league. Especially the way we got this one against a really good team, that’s special. We just got to continue to get better.”
The Knicks’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now down to one. They’ll look to do that in front of their hometown fans at the Garden on Sunday evening against the Washington Wizards.