Eight minutes and 13 seconds remained in the third quarter, and the Garden suddenly fell silent. The 10-point lead disappeared and new playmaker Jalen Brunson just got his fourth foul despite hitting the ground.
Tom Thibodeau did not go to the bench despite the situation.
Brunson shouted at his new coach, and Thibodeau was not startled.
That’s how much he trusts his new floor general. Brunson not only avoided his fifth foul until the fourth quarter, but also responded by taking the Knicks off the mat.
Brunson scored the next seven points of the game and his teammates followed his lead with an explosive 25-9 run to regain control, sending the Knicks into their second 115-102 win over the young, undefeated Magic at Garden. Monday night.
Thibodeau said, “You can’t say enough about what Jalen has done for the team. “He’s always in total control. You hit some tough spots in the game and he has a very strong attitude and a strong face, and that’s one of the determination. It gives your team the belief that ‘We can do this’.”
After this mini-Brunson move, the game opened for the Knicks (2-1). Shots began to fall. They have stops. Transition opportunities followed. After years without a real quarterback, Brunson (21 points, six assists, two steals) seems to be the answer the Knicks have been waiting for in that position. He eased some of the pressure on Julius Randle, who had a strong start to the season with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
“Julius was great from start to finish.
RJ Barrett recovered from a tumultuous first half and had 18 of 20 points after the hiatus and found his first three three-pointers of the season after missing the starting 11. Mitchell Robinson added 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks, and Obi Toppin took 10 points from the bench.
But it was Brunson who made the biggest plays of the night. With the Magic (0-4) turning six with 4:28 remaining, Brunson took a backstop and called the foul and Orlando stopped his run. The Magic only managed to collect four points the rest of the way.
“Typical [in past years] they are calling me to buy a basket [in that situation]’ said Randle. [Jalen] Taking that pressure off me is huge.”
The bench took a big hit as they entered the game in the first quarter, designing a 16-6 series fueled by seven Cam Reddish points. Immanuel Quickley produced four assists within minutes to close the quarter, creating quick break opportunities with his defense and pushing the ball to the ground.
Twice in the first half, the Knicks looked ready to withdraw, only Magic needed to counter strike. There was a six-point lead at halftime, but it felt bigger, with the Knicks outrunning and overtaking their opponent. The only downside was Barrett’s continued shooting shortage, with the young wing blocking the Knicks’ free-flowing offense with forced and faulty shots on a 9-to-1 starting setup.
But Barrett responded after halftime, Randle excelled, and Brunson made big plays when it mattered most, continuing the newcomer’s trend of picking the right spots to be the best.
“It really kept us steady in that little recession we had in season three. [quarter]“It keeps us balanced, especially in these difficult times,” said Barrett. He made some big hits that kept us ahead.”
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