The Knicks erased a 19-point third-quarter deficit and beat the Bulls 133-127 on Wednesday, a comeback driven by Jalen Brunson and finished with a stop-start final minute. Brunson scored 38 points, made six 3-pointers and added the kind of late burst that carried New York to its second straight win.
That mattered because the Knicks were still shaking off a long night when they walked into the game. They arrived in Chicago about 2:30 a.m. after a late tipoff Tuesday in MSG, landing there less than 17 hours before they faced the Bulls. Brunson said he had been carrying too much unnecessary commentary in his head before the game, then went to the gym after the flight and looked like a different player, scoring 14 of his points in the fourth quarter and going 7-for-11 from deep.
The rest of the scoring help came from the same backcourt and bench group that kept New York alive when the game could have slipped away. Landry Shamet scored 14 points with five assists in 32 minutes, Jordan Clarkson had 18 points with 12 in the fourth quarter, and Tyler Kolek added nine points and nine assists. Together with Brunson, they combined for 52 points in the second half, the kind of production the Knicks needed when Mikal Bridges was ineffective and benched.
Even after the surge, New York had to survive its own mistakes. Karl-Anthony Towns missed a layup under the hoop with 25 seconds left while the Knicks led by three, and Norman Powell missed a potential tying 3-pointer before Brunson closed it out by making one of two free throws. Mike Brown said he made clear to the team that the schedule was not an excuse, even while admitting the group looked sluggish.
Brunson finished with the sort of line that can reset a difficult stretch for a team that is now 2-3. The unanswered question is whether the Knicks can carry the same edge once the legs are fresher and the travel is not working against them.
