Jalen Brunson saves Christmas for the Knicks

Brunson put up 38 points on 15-for-28 shooting, outscoring Milwaukee Bucks All-Stars Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Knicks won 129-122, getting their first win against Milwaukee in the four games between the teams this season.

Earlier this week, ESPN’s Becky Hammon, head coach of the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, declared that the Knicks “don’t have … a 1A dude.” When colleague Kendrick Perkins mentioned Brunson, Hammon said, “Naw, he too small.”

Whether Brunson heard the criticism or not, he upped his game for the national TV audience. It was the third game of 36 or more points for Brunson against Milwaukee this year.

For the season, he’s averaging 25.6 points and 5.9 assists, making 46.2% of this three-pointers, making a huge push for his first All-Star game — and “1A dude status.”