Jalen

Brunson

The Thunder’s ability to rotate multiple players onto Brunson throughout Wednesday’s game led to him having one of his poorer offensive efforts of the season. However, he recorded a season-high 15 assists, just over a month after dishing out 13 in a win over the Lakers. There aren’t many teams with the perimeter personnel Oklahoma City boasts, and Brunson doesn’t shoot the ball as poorly as he did on Wednesday very often. He’ll look to bounce back on Friday in Denver.

Brunson finished with his seventh double-double of the season, hitting double digits in assists for the first time since a February 1 win over the Lakers. The Knicks’ guard had to deal with Scottie Barnes for most of Tuesday’s victory, and the Raptors also threw Jamal Shead at him. But Brunson still managed to get to his spots when it mattered most, shooting 4-of-7 from the field in the fourth quarter to help close out the win. The Knicks return home to host the Thunder on Wednesday in another high-profile matchup.

After totaling seven assists in his prior two appearances, Brunson hit that number in Sunday’s blowout of the Spurs. While he did start slowly on offense, the Knicks guard’s first stint on the floor without being guarded by San Antonio’s Stephon Castle got him going. Brunson would score 11 points in the first quarter, and his teammates helped pick up the slack in the next three periods.

Brunson and the Knicks jumped the Bucks early on Friday. He scored 22 of the Knicks’ 38 first-quarter points, and New York would score 39 more in the second. Due to the game being a blowout, Brunson only needed to play 31 minutes in Milwaukee. That extra rest could come in handy on Sunday, as the Knicks host the Spurs in their final game of Week 18.

Brunson and the Knicks had a rough night, with things getting especially bad during the third quarter. As a team, New York scored 11 points, and Brunson shot 0-of-5 from the field while scoring just one point. While he’s shot 44.3 percent from the field over the past week, Brunson’s fantasy value has taken a hit, regardless of league format. The Knicks play two more games in Week 18, starting with the Bucks on Friday.

Brunson didn’t score much in Chicago, but he did dish out 9 assists. The last was on a Mikal Bridges three-pointer with 26.6 seconds remaining that extended New York’s lead to six. Brunson, who made one of his six three-point attempts, didn’t shoot the ball efficiently, but he was good at making plays for others. The Knicks begin a three-game Week 18 on Tuesday against Cleveland in what will be a vital game for tiebreaker purposes.

The Rockets did an excellent job of keeping Brunson under wraps for the first three quarters, with the Knicks point guard shooting 2-of-8 from the field. Brunson came to life in the fourth, making all four of his shots to help New York erase a deficit that grew to as large as 18 points. He also added three more charges drawn to his league-high tally, showing off his skill as a “below-the-rim rim protector.” Brunson and the Knicks play once more in Week 17, as they visit the Bulls on Sunday.

While Brunson shot the ball far better on Thursday than he did in either of the Knicks’ first two losses to the Pistons, that doesn’t tell the entire story. The efficient scoring wasn’t matched in the playmaking department, as Brunson was responsible for six of the Knicks’ 12 turnovers. While the Knicks won’t have to see the Pistons again during the regular season, how they lost the three meetings is a concern should the teams meet in the playoffs.

Brunson finished Tuesday with his second 40-point game in four outings and fourth of the season, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a disappointing overtime defeat. The Knicks point guard shot 4-of-14 from beyond the arc, putting a dent in his overall field-goal percentage. Brunson and the Knicks will look to go into the All-Star break on a high note when they visit the 76ers on Wednesday.

Coming off of his worst performance of the season in Friday’s 38-point loss to the Pistons, Brunson showed up in Boston seemingly intent on redeeming himself. The Knicks’ guard did so, recording 15 points and four assists in the first quarter alone and finishing with a game-high 31 points. And after shooting 0-of-8 from three in Detroit, Brunson made four of his eight attempts on Sunday. The Knicks play five games in Week 17, two of which are scheduled for before the All-Star break.