Jalen Brunson Scores 39 Points to Lead the Knicks to a 7th Straight Win

On Monday night, Jalen Brunson scored 39 points to lead the Knicks to their seventh straight victory and snap a nine-game losing streak against Brooklyn. Led by newcomer Josh Hart, they outscored the Nets 142-118.

It was a stark reminder of how much power was lost when the Nets parted ways with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. On the other hand, the Knicks moved within two games of them for fifth place in the East, as they moved within one game of fifth-place leader Brooklyn.

First quarter

Jalen Brunson scored 39 points in a stunning first half to propel the Knicks to their seventh straight win and give New York an edge of two games over Brooklyn for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. New York shot nearly 80% from the field during that span, giving them a commanding 142-118 advantage going into halftime.

The Brooklyn Nets have lost four consecutive games since trading Kyrie Irving to Dallas on Feb. 6 and Kevin Durant to Phoenix one week later. They sit one 1/2 games behind Miami Heat for fifth place and can still make the playoffs if they stay ahead of teams that won more games than them in their initial round of play.

New York led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter on Brunson's perfect shooting night. He went 13 of 15 from the field and hit seven 3-pointers, including one to spark a 13-0 run to start the second period.

He scored a career-high 40 points against the Nets in their last meeting, setting a franchise record. Now averaging 31.9 per game, the point guard has become their most dominant player as they head into their All-Star break and prepare to face off against Washington Wizards on Feb. 24 for their season finale.

Brunson was also helped out by Josh Hart's outstanding performance, who added 27 points off the bench in his second game with the Knicks and had nine assists. Led by an energetic Hart, New York was able to pull away in the third quarter after taking a 61-58 lead at halftime.

In the fourth quarter, New York scored 10 of their first 12 points - Brunson scoring nine to extend their lead to 117-113. Later in the period, Clarkson hit two 3-pointers for New York's largest lead of the game at 138-118 with just over three minutes left in regulation.

At the end of the fourth quarter, Brooklyn had a chance to tie the game with a tying 3-pointer from Brunson; however, an intentional foul call on him with six seconds remaining resulted in a technical free throw for New York. Dinwiddie had taken an eight-point lead with 4:27 remaining before New York made four straight baskets - including two dunks by Mitchell Robinson - to take a commanding 125-106 advantage.

Second quarter

Jalen Brunson scored 39 points to lead the New York Knicks to their 7th straight victory against the Brooklyn Nets 142-118 on Wednesday night. The Knicks made 80% of their shots in a furious first half, capping off what would be their second victory against the Nets since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were traded away.

The Knicks were somewhat shocked to see Durant, their all-time leading scorer and one of the most beloved players in the NBA, return home. Up until that point, there had been more rivalry between these teams than a 7-year old's favorite plate could provide.

No team in New York has ever lost to the Knicks when Irving and Durant are playing, so it was fitting that this game ended with the Knicks snapping their nine-game losing streak against their rivals at Madison Square Garden.

After a slow start, the Knicks went on an 11-0 run in three minutes to take their first double-digit lead at 23-11 with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter. Doing so allowed them to erase a 14-point deficit caused by lack of perimeter defense by the Nets.

On a 13-3 run to start the third quarter, the Knicks took an impressive lead of 93-83. Josh Hart - an integral part of their offense - then hit a 3-pointer to extend that margin to 12 with 7:05 left in play.

Hart, who has now scored in double figures in five of his seven games with the Knicks, finished with 27 points from the bench. He shot 10-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 on 3-pointers during his second game back with New York.

The Knicks' victory over the Nets moved them within two games of fifth place in the Eastern Conference, guaranteeing them a playoff spot. The top six teams will receive automatic bids to the NBA Finals.

On a night when the Knicks needed an energy boost, Mitchell Robinson (returning from thumb surgery) did not disappoint with his fourth double-double of the season. Julius Randle added 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for New York as they looked to give their lineup some much needed breathing room.

Third quarter

On Tuesday night, the Knicks set a franchise record with 142 points in their win against the Brooklyn Nets. Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 39 points as the Knicks claimed their seventh straight victory.

New York had a stunning start, scoring 42 points to tie a season high for points, and then continued their dominance against Brooklyn from there on out. Leading by double digits the rest of the way, they ended up with an 84-106 win that snapped their nine game losing streak against the Nets who lost Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving via trade last week.

The Nets boast a strong core of 3-and-D wings (Mikal Bridges, Royce O'Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith), along with Nic Claxton as their rim protector center and some talented scorers in Spencer Dinwiddie, Cameron Johnson and Joe Harris. While they won't be competitive in the Eastern Conference without some improvement, they could certainly challenge for first place with some improvements.

In the second half, however, the Knicks emerged as a much more dominant team as Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart combined for 66 points while the rest of their squad shot 54.9 percent. Julius Randle added 18 points and 10 rebounds as well, helping New York pull away from the Nets for the fifth time in seven games.

In the third quarter alone, Brunson scored 17 of his 40 points as the Knicks built a commanding 77-72 lead at halftime. The Nets cut it to eight in the fourth but Brunson and Hart ignited an 18-3 run that sent New York's Garden crowd into a frenzy.

When Hart hit his only three-pointer in the final minute, Madison Square Garden erupted with an audible cheer that could be heard throughout the arena. This cheer was especially loud when he hit his shot from the right side over Cam Johnson with 12 seconds remaining to give New York a 93-83 advantage.

The Knicks were buoyed by the energy and play of rookie wing Josh Hart. He scored 27 points in 28 minutes off the bench to set a season high.

At halftime, the Knicks led 76-67. However, Brooklyn kept within striking distance with a strong defensive effort from Spencer Dinwiddie that included 14 points in the first half and 13 more in the third. Unfortunately for them, Brooklyn blew a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter to end an exciting game that had plenty of promise.

Fourth quarter

On Wednesday night, Jalen Brunson scored 39 points to lead the Knicks to a 142-118 rout of the Nets. New York won its seventh straight game and pulled within two games of Brooklyn for fifth place in the Eastern Conference, moving closer towards snagging a playoff spot.

The Knicks raced out to an early lead and never looked back in the final three quarters. They led by as many as 16 points in the third and fourth quarters, hitting 14 3-pointers - tied for most by any team this season in one half.

In the opening quarter, New York made nearly 80% of their shots and held Brooklyn to just 8-for-27 shooting, matching its lowest point total in franchise history for an opening quarter.

After Brooklyn began the third quarter with an 11-4 run, the Knicks went on a 13-3 spurt to take control. Led by Josh Hart's 27 points off the bench, they built a 93-83 lead after Brunson hit two baskets and added another 3-pointer.

On 5.2 seconds' notice, Spencer Dinwiddie hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 80 and add another shortly thereafter for Brooklyn to take control 82-80. To respond, New York went on an 13-0 run to start the fourth quarter before taking an 11-3 lead on Hart's 3-pointer with 7:05 remaining.

Since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were traded, the Knicks have never won a game against Brooklyn. Up until this year, this rivalry had been more evenly balanced than a 7-year-old's favorite dessert's sugar-veggie ratio.

The Knicks have won seven straight games to move into fifth place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind Milwaukee for first place. With the All-Star break approaching soon, New York could make a push towards snagging a playoff spot.