Jalen Brunson's 55 Points Help Knicks Survive Wizards

Fifty-five from New York, it's Saturday night.

Another Jalen Brunson masterclass helped the New York Knicks avoid a disaster against the lowly Washington Wizards over the weekend, as the captain's latest showcase was the key behind a 136-132 victory at Capital One Arena in the nation's capital.

En route to the team's seventh consecutive victory, Brunson put forth a 55-point effort to lead the way, with 42 coming in the second half and the five-minute extra session. He joins Bernard King as the only men in Knicks history to post multiple 55-point games and he's the first to hit half-a-hundred twice in a calendar year since Allan Houston did so in 2003.

With Brunson joining OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns, this season's Knicks are the first team in NBA history to have four men earned a 40-point game prior to New Year's Day.

It takes a lot to bury a 30-point, 14-rebound double-double from Towns but Brunson's output did exactly that. Towns got back into the realm of double-doubles after he was denied entry in consecutive games of the first time this season.

Such an effort couldn't have come at a better time, as the Knicks (22-10) fell behind by as much as 11 to a Washington group missing Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole. Staten Island native and former Brooklyn basketball star Justin Champagnie put up a career-best effort in defeat, scoring 31 points for the woebegone Wizards.

Making Brunson's latest mastery all the more shocking was the fact he was held scoreless in the second quarter, a relatively anemic period for the Knicks despite scoring 28 points. New York shot 0-for-10 from three-point range but was saved by a 12-point, six-rebound effort from Towns. All but four of the Knicks points in the frame were scored in the paint, part of a final tally of 78.

With their defense perhaps ailing from a back-to-back that began in Orlando just over 24 hours prior, the Knicks traded baskets with the energized Wizards, who found a rare prowess from deep. Washington posted a 12-0 over the latter stages of the third, building the aforementioned big lead. Prior to that surge, neither team led by more than four in the third.

Appropriately, Brunson closed out the period with five points, offering a hint at what was to come in the final stages. He then scored the first five of the fourth before letting Towns take over, as he scored the next 10 of a 15-7 run that set up the thrilling final stages. Washington took a five-point lead into the final minute thanks in part to perfect period from Champagnie (11 points on 4-of-4) but a successful Brunson and-one and a floating jumper with just over 11 seconds remaining--as well as a miss from Bilal Coulibaly before time expired--forced five more.

Dec 28, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) defends in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Though the Knicks never led by more than five, they never trailed in overtime and took the lead for good on a Bridges dunk with 3:04 remaining. Crucial rebounds from Josh Hart, who successfully recovered would-be equalizers from the arms of Coulibaly and Malcolm Brodgon in the final minute.

Amidst his buddy's dominance, Hart saved the best for last, earning seven rebounds over final 11 minutes of game play to secure the win. Bridges likewise impressed with 21 points, pairing them with three steals.

The Knicks will stay in Washington to close out the year as a rematch is schedule for Monday night (7 p.m. ET, MSG).

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