Apart from their “opening night” in Tennessee, which ended on a setback of a short header (115-112), the Knicks are making a very good start to the season. At home, at Madison Square Garden, they in any case retained their invincibility on Wednesday evening against Charlotte, and they are in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference.
It will not have been easy, since they had recourse to an extension, but the teammates of Jalen Brunson (27 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds) succeeded in getting rid of eye-catching Hornets, in particular thanks to the “clutch” actions of their new point guard.
“We have to win games like this,” explains Randle in the New York Post. “Not every game will be perfect. To be able to win like that is great for us. »
In a Madison full as an egg, with 19,812 overheated fans who will soon be chanting his name in unison, the Knicks have indeed been able to count on a decisive Brunson, author of 6 of his team’s 10 points in overtime.
“We kept fighting and we ended up finding a way to win this game. We stayed focused and we managed to take the necessary actions at the end of the match. »
“You have to know how to win games ugly, that’s for sure”
A true general of the courts, Brunson managed a demonstration against Dennis Smith Jr. at the end of the match, based on small shots by turning around while deploying his arsenal of feints and then taking out a big 3-point shot to equalize in regular time.
“I liked the look of determination that we had, and I think that comes first and foremost from Jalen’s look,” liked Thibodeau. “His attitude has been great for our team. I love Julius, he has also been superb since the start of training camp. This look full of determination is important. If we look frustrated, we will play frustrated. »
Three rebounds from the triple-double, Brunson simply set his new career passing high with 13 offerings. That he managed such a total for his fourth game with the Knicks is a very good omen for the future. Moreover, with three wins in a row at home, the Knicks had not started the season so well since 2012!
“You have to know how to win games ugly, that’s for sure”, concludes Brunson. “When we play well, when we play to perfection, we are supposed to win games. But when we don’t play at our best level and we give up advantages, how do we respond? These are the signs of a good team [de s’imposer dans la difficulté]. »
| Jalen Brunson | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2018-19 | DAL | 73 | 22 | 46.7 | 34.8 | 72.5 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 9.3 |
| 2019-20 | DAL | 57 | 18 | 46.6 | 35.8 | 81.3 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 8.2 |
| 2020-21 | DAL | 68 | 25 | 52.3 | 40.5 | 79.5 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 12.6 |
| 2021-22 | DAL | 79 | 32 | 50.2 | 37.3 | 84.0 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 16.3 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 3 | 33 | 46.7 | 41.7 | 75.0 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 17.7 |
| Total | 280 | 25 | 49.4 | 37.4 | 79.9 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 11.9 | |
