- Ahead of LeBron James’ annual visit to Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks were reminded that Jalen Brunson is the superstar they’ve needed since James entered the NBA.
Brunson will lead the Knicks in their quest to remain undefeated on their five-game homestand as New York faces the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night in their first meeting of the season.
The Knicks have had a break since Wednesday when Brunson joined a prestigious group of franchise legends by scoring 30 points and dishing out 15 assists in a 122-112 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, the Lakers extended their six-game road trip on Thursday, beating the Washington Wizards 134-96.
Brunson’s historic performance added to his impressive season as the Knicks’ captain in his third year with the team. Recently named an All-Star starter on January 23, Brunson is averaging 25.9 points and a career-best 7.5 assists per game. The Knicks are on track to make the playoffs for the third consecutive year, after reaching the postseason just once in the nine seasons before Brunson joined.
Brunson was especially stellar on Wednesday, scoring 18 points in the third quarter to help the Knicks seize control, and adding seven assists in the fourth to seal the win. He became the fourth player in franchise history to record at least 30 points and 15 assists in a game, the first since Nate Robinson in 2009.
“He was just special,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. “‘Cap’ is special. Everyone knows. We needed him to score tonight, we needed him to do what he does best. And he did that. That’s why he’s special. Whenever his name is called in the biggest moment, he’s ready.”
LeBron James, who turned 40 in December, has been consistently ready as well. Despite his age, he is averaging 23.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 9.0 assists in his 22nd NBA season, with nine triple-doubles. In the Lakers’ win over the Wizards on Thursday, James played just over 26 minutes, finishing with 24 points and 11 assists.
The Lakers led by 33 points at halftime and won by 38. This was their seventh win in the last nine games, and they were sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference as of Friday.
“Don’t overlook the fact that, by the way, he’s 40 years old in Year 22 with every accolade under the sun and he comes out on a Thursday night in a non-nationally televised game against a team that’s really struggling and he’s the tone-setter,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick.
James has averaged 26.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 59 games against the Knicks.