The Knicks needed a leader now that All-Star Julius Randle was back in the Big Apple. Jalen Brunson went above and above.
While waiting for Randle to return to health, the Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavs 130-116 on Friday night. New York’s point guard scored a career-high 48 points.
Donovan Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 42 points, remarked, “This loss hurts.” “When the time comes, we must feel it and be prepared to use it. Naturally, we are in charge of our fate, and we’ll probably run into these guys again in two weeks.
Averaging 23.6 points per game, Brunson scored 33 in a chaotic first half with little defence. The 89 points scored by the teams collectively in the first quarter tied for third place in NBA history for the first 12 minutes of a game. Miami and Washington (1990) and Utah and Denver (1982) each hold the record with 91. (2021).
In addition, Cleveland scored 47 points in the first quarter, a record for the team’s 53-year history.
Jarrett Allen (groyne) and Isaac Okoro, two of the Cavaliers’ finest defenders, were absent from the game (knee).
