Jalen Brunson returns, leads the way in Knicks' rout of Suns
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, on Monday, Jan 2, 2023. Credit: Brad Penner
About an hour before game time Monday afternoon, the Knicks announced that Jalen Brunson was back in the starting lineup after sitting out the last three games with a sore right hip. And just minutes after the game began, the difference in what the Knicks look like with Brunson became evident.
He didn’t score a point in the first quarter, but his presence and leadership were on display as the Knicks took over almost from the start. And once he shook the rust off, he led them on a 21-0 second-quarter burst and a 32-point lead en route to a 102-83 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden.
Brunson in the lineup on any night is a crucial part of the Knicks' success, but this one brought back memories of Brunson and the Dallas Mavericks pummeling the Suns in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals last season. The Knicks (20-18) lost two of three games in Brunson’s absence, with the only win coming against the worst team in the Western Conference. And even if they were missing Devin Booker and Cam Johnson, the Suns carried a 20-17 record into the game.
“It's huge,” coach Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson’s return. “He just gives you a different element in the way he can control the game, and I love the way those guys are all playing together. They're bringing the best out of each other. I think they're sharing in the responsibility of creating rhythm for the team. They're all sharing in that, and they're playing really well together defensively. And when that happens, good things are gonna happen.”
Julius Randle led the Knicks with 28 points, 16 rebounds and six assists and was serenaded with the MVP chants at the Garden that were regularly heard two seasons ago. Brunson contributed 24 points and six assists and seemed to make things easier for everyone.
While Randle has done it with or without Brunson on the floor lately, he pointed to the point guard when he was asked what has changed this season.
"He’s a great teammate, man,” Randle said. “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. Naturally the point guard is the person that if you’re up, you’re down, he picks you up or keeps you going or whatever it is. He’s all of that, man. He’s a true leader, a true — just a great person off the court. I can’t say enough of the chemistry and energy he brings to the locker room, so he’s amazing.
“Obviously, I knew of him a little bit so I knew he wasn’t a bad person. I hated playing against him, honestly, because he’s just this little 6-foot point guard, lives in the lane and is strong and like he’s just annoying playing against him. He’s amazing, super-skilled, he does so many things for our team.”
Something has changed for Randle, not just in production but in his perspective, too. It was almost a year to the day — Jan. 5, 2022 — that Randle gave the thumbs-down gesture to the Garden fans and then clarified that it meant for the fans to “shut the [expletive] up.” Now he was conducting his on-court interview after the game and saying “playing in front of the fans at the Garden” has been the best part of his run.
"I don’t really say I’ll play a role, but I try to be the best teammate I can be,” Brunson said of helping Randle’s focus. “When we’re all together, I try to be a person who just brings life to everyone. Whenever we get a chance to create team chemistry or be together, I just try to be myself, try to make sure everyone’s on the same page, try and make sure everyone is having a good time when we’re together off the court. Just to make sure that it’s easier to play with each on the court. It’s translating, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do "
The Knicks scored 14 straight points and led 23-11 after the first quarter, with Phoenix shooting 5-for-22, including 1-for-10 beyond the arc. At that point, the Knicks had allowed 64 points in their last four quarters.
Leading 31-20, they embarked on a 21-0 run for a 52-20 lead, hitting 11 of their first 12 shots in the second quarter, including all five from three-point range. After scoring only 20 points in the first 19:40, the Suns managed to cut the deficit to 54-31 at halftime as the Knicks missed their final seven shots, but they never got closer than 18 again.
“It was special,” Brunson said. “We were getting stops. We were sharing the ball. We were getting in the paint and making plays for each other. It’s just one of those runs where you don’t really know what’s going on, but it’s contagious. So we were able to get that lead and keep it.”
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Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
