The last few weeks of the 2023-24 NBA regular season have been tumultuous for the New York Knicks. They are dealing with injuries to several key players, which has led to some up-and-down performances on the court.
For the most part, they have been able to stay afloat, playing about .500 basketball and remaining in the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. A big reason for that has been the performance of point guard Jalen Brunson.
The first-time NBA All-Star has put the team on his back with fellow All-Star Julius Randle and OG Anunoby missing significant time. Both players missed 18 straight games, last appearing on January 27th against the Miami Heat.
Randle, who is recovering from a separated shoulder, remains sidelined without a timetable to return to the court. Anunoby was able to return for three games but had a flare-up with his elbow injury and is sidelined again.
The Knicks will once again be relying on Brunson to carry the load offensively, and against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, he was up to the task once again. He scored 34 points on 12-of-25 shooting, with five rebounds and seven assists to help the Knicks to a 119-112 victory on the road.
Through three games on this road trip, Brunson has been on a tear scoring the ball. He scored 45 against the Portland Trail Blazers to kick things off before pouring in 42 of the team’s 98 against the Sacramento Kings.
The back-to-back 40+ point games put him among some Knicks greats, becoming the first guard to accomplish that feat and only the fourth player overall. One of the players who previously accomplished the feat was Carmelo Anthony, who Brunson tied for another scoring accolade on Monday night.
Brunson is averaging 40.3 points per game over his last three outings. He is the first Knicks player to do that since Anthony did. The information was provided by BrunsonMuse on X.
What Brunson is doing currently should be getting more attention than it is. This is one of the best scoring stretches in Knicks franchise history and he is doing it for a short-handed team missing several key players.
Even without being at full strength, the Knicks have proven they are one of the best teams in the NBA. As long as Brunson is on the court, they will be competitive and have a chance to win the game.
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