Jalen Brunson scores 33 as Knicks rout Bulls 135-105
Brunson scored 22 points in the first quarter as New York tied its franchise record for first-half points and improved to 4-4.
Jalen Brunson scored 33 points as the New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 135-105 at Madison Square Garden on November 4, tying the franchise record for points in a first half. The Associated Press reported that New York reached 84 points by halftime, matching a mark set in 1988, as the Knicks turned an early lead into a rout.
Brunson supplied 22 of the Knicks’ 43 first-quarter points, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from three-point range, according to the AP. New York led 43-21 after the quarter, then added 41 points in the second to take an 84-52 lead. The AP said it was the first time the Knicks had scored at least 40 points in each of the first two quarters of a game.
How the Knicks built the 30-point win
New York’s advantage grew to 44 points, at 111-67, on a Miles McBride four-point play with 3:23 left in the third quarter. Chicago did not get closer than 30 points after that. Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 12 rebounds, OG Anunoby scored 18, and Dalton Knecht added 10 points in his Knicks debut. Tre Jones led Chicago with 14 points.
The result made New York 4-4, its first .500 record since the season opener, the New York Daily News reported. The Knicks had started 0-3 but won four of their next five. Chicago, meanwhile, had lost six straight, according to the AP. The Daily News described the Knicks’ offense as struggling before the win and reported that Brunson had explained his earlier shooting results by saying he was “missing shots I normally make.” Coach Mike Brown said Brunson was taking the same shots as before, but missing them.
A different result from the previous Bulls meeting
The teams had met in Chicago on October 28, when New York won 133-127. The Daily News reported that Chicago led by as many as 19 points in that game and held a six-point advantage entering the fourth quarter. Wednesday’s 30-point margin marked a sharp change in how the matchup unfolded, while giving New York a second win over the Bulls in eight days.
The AP listed the Bulls’ next game as a home matchup with Philadelphia on Sunday and the Knicks’ next game as a visit to Cleveland on Saturday.
Read in depth: Sports
Rays face payroll and rotation questions after World Series loss to Brewers
Tampa Bay’s 98-win season ended in five World Series games. Its new ownership group faces questions about spending and retaining a rotation that helped carry the club to the...
Lamar Jackson practices fully as Ravens assess his return for Bills game
The quarterback’s full participation on Wednesday gave Baltimore reason for optimism, but coach Jesse Minter said the team would assess how he responds before Sunday’s game in...
Sources and context
- Brunson scores 33 points, leads the Knicks to a 135-105 win over the BullsAssociated Press, carried by Yahoo Sports
- Jalen Brunson leads offensive breakout in rout of Bulls as Knicks improve to .500New York Daily News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.