Knicks advance to NBA Cup quarterfinals behind Jalen Brunson's 37 points
The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson shooting a jump shot against the Bucks’ Ryan Rollins and Giannis Antetokounmpo at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The last time the Knicks hung a banner of any kind in the Garden rafters was 2013, for an Atlantic Division title, so if the next time they make room among those dusty sheets is for an NBA Cup, they will accept that.
When the NBA instituted the in-season tournament, providing a focus for fans in the midst of a long season, there was hope that players and coaches would treat it with the same reverence. It didn’t hurt that two of the biggest stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James, led their teams to titles in the first two years of the tournament.
But for years the Knicks have been a team that didn’t need additional motivation. To them, there was no reason to treat a game in November or December any differently from the way they might treat Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
So while it may be up for debate whether it’s a good idea to put up a banner for a potential NBA Cup title, whether the Knicks would play a November game as if it were that Game 7 . . . there was no debate about that at all.
While the floor was painted blue and images of trophies adorned the court, Jalen Brunson did what he has done during all parts of the season, taking over when the Knicks needed him. He scored 37 points as the Knicks earned a 118-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night at the Garden and advanced to the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
The Knicks (3-1 in Group C) will face the Raptors (4-0 in Group A) in Toronto on Dec. 9 in the quarterfinals.
For five seasons, the Knicks’ players heard the mantra “everything matters.” Brunson has a line of clothing emblazoned with “the magic is in the work.”
So after Mike Brown replaced Tom Thibodeau as the head coach, it might have taken a few games for him to realize the mood, but as the Knicks faced the Bucks, there would be no need for motivational speeches.
“To try to go after something and know that, hey, we want to go try to win these games and to go do it, you try to manufacture a little pressure so we can embrace it and handle it the right way,” Brown said. “Our guys have been so good about it. Playing in Toronto for the quarterfinal round. I’m excited about it. They’re just as hot as anybody in this league. They’re a good team, the coaching staff is doing a heck of a job. So we’re looking forward to playing up there and putting ourselves in position to try to go get a win.”
Antetokounmpo, who sat out the previous four games — all losses — looked shaky at first; after a quick dunk, he was called for a pair of fouls in the opening 92 seconds. But he remained in the game and quickly showed he had lost little between the injury and the time away, contributing 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 28:05.
After trailing by as many as 12, the Knicks rallied to close it to one at the half. Brunson took over in the third quarter, shooting 7-for-8 from the floor and scoring 16 points. He nearly added a ridiculous four-point play in the closing seconds; he was fouled by Kyle Kuzma and launched a nearly 30-foot leaner that cleanly went through the net, but it was ruled that Kuzma had fouled him before the shot and the basket was waved off.
The Knicks took a 92-88 lead into the fourth quarter, and a pair of quick three-pointers by Deuce McBride made it a 10-point game. When Tyler Kolek followed with a three-pointer on a feed from Josh Hart on the break, it was 101-88 — a 9-0 run in 80 seconds — and Bucks coach Doc Rivers was calling for time.
The Knicks still were up 104-95 after a dunk by Hart, but the Bucks ran off seven straight points and it was up to Brunson again. Fouled by Antetokounmpo, he drained three free throws to push the lead to 107-102.
That had Brown talking about something bigger than the Cup, pushing Brunson for MVP consideration.
“I’ve thought about more winning versus winning the MVP,” Brunson said. “It’s not something I’m thinking about. Honestly, when you win, everyone eats, so just focus on winning as a team.”
Brunson hit a runner, drew a foul on the play and gave the Knicks a 114-107 lead with 1:27 remaining. Two free throws by Hart and a fast-break dunk by Mikal Bridges clinched it.
Hart had 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. McBride also scored 19 and shot 5-for-7 from three-point range.
“I think it is competitive basketball night in and night out,” Brunson said. “There is a little added juice to it, knowing obviously what’s at stake. Win, move on and try to win something. We have a lot of guys and coaches who don’t make as much as some of the guys on this team. It’s an added bonus for them as well. So you’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for this entire team.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
