Against a game Chicago Bulls team, Jalen Brunson’s 45 points pushed the Knicks to a 128-117 win on Tuesday night.

Here are the takeaways…

-Brunson was masterful again. Aside from his 45-point performance (on 13-of-24 shooting) he dished out eight assists, picked up three rebounds and played 41 minutes. While the Knicks did well when Brunson was on the bench, they just couldn’t put away the Bulls, forcing head coach Tom Thibodeau to keep his All-Star in.

Brunson recorded consecutive 40-point games for the second time this season. He is the third Knick to record multiple streaks of consecutive 40-point games in a season, joining Bernard King (1984-85) and Patrick Ewing (1989-90).

-Brunson wasn’t the only one putting up big minutes. Josh Hart played 46 minutes, scoring 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting, coming down with 13 rebounds and dishing seven assists. He was also a game-high plus-17 when on the floor.

It was a good night for Hart who was ejected from the last Knicks/Bulls matchup last week after picking up a controversial flagrant-2 foul.

-OG Anunoby continued to round into form, picking up 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting and three rebounds. It’s the forward’s third game back after being shut down due to his elbow. Tuesday was his best night since his return, scoring 20-plus points for the first time since and being able to play through 35 minutes on the floor.

-At 47-32 and three games to go, the Knicks were able to jump the Orlando Magic -- thanks to their loss to the Houston Rockets -- to claim sole possession of the No. 3 seed. The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Boston Celtics, so New York remains one game behind them for the No. 2 seed.

However, the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game with a strained calf and is getting tests done on it. The injury could affect not just the standings but how far Milwaukee goes in the postseason.

The Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks and prevented the Knicks from clinching a playoff spot and avoiding the Play-In Tournament.

Here are the takeaways…

Highlights

Popular in the Community