Knicks, Brunson Burn Blazers to Open Big East West Trip on High Note
While their current Cats couldn't cut it at Madison Square Garden, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart kept their tradition of March dominance alive for the New York Knicks on the other side of the country.
As Villanova dropped an overtime heartbreaker in the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament at MSG, the efforts of Brunson and Hart allowed the Knicks to overcome a slow start and tip off a four-game road trip on a high note, topping the Portland Trail Blazers by a 105-93 final on Thursday night at Moda Center. Brunson put up 45 points while Hart colored the Portland paint with 15 rebounds.
Jaime Valdez, USA TODAY SPORTS
With the win, the Knicks (39-27) maintained their slim lead on fourth place in the Eastern Conference and picked up victories in consecutive games for the first time since tallying nine between Jan. 17 and Feb. 1. While the Knicks let up more than 80 points for the first time in four games, they've allowed fewer than 100 in a consecutive quartet, its first such streak since 2021.
New York also improved to 14-2 when OG Anunoby shows up in the box score. Anunoby was one rebound short of a double-double in his second showing back from an 18-game departure due to an elbow injury, scoring 12 to go with a pair of assists and steals.
Woebegone Portland, closing out a six-game homestand and playing a back-to-back after Wednesday's win over Atlanta, mustered something of a challenge for the Knicks in the opening period, as a 17-3 run after they fell behind by seven gave them a 25-18 lead of their own. New York had the deficit erased by the end of the period and more or less rolled from there, affording their first two-game season sweep of the Blazers since 1999-2000.
New York took the lead for good on an Anunoby triple that ignited a 13-2 run that gave the Knicks a double-figure lead that proved nearly permanent.
While the Knicks couldn't extend their streak of sub-80-point games out of their opponent to four, another standout defensive performance awaited, as the Blazers (19-47) lost 17 turnovers. Portland made a few mini-rallies but was ultimately unable to compete with what became Brunson's sixth game with at least 40 points in its shorthanded state.
Struggling from downtown (the team hitting only 6-of-29 from deep), Brunson was able to do most of his damage in the interior, getting to the foul line on 17 occasions and hitting all but two of the subsequent attempts. New York was a plus-17 on the scoreboard when Brunson was on the floor, tied for a team-best with Isaiah Hartenstein, who pulled in nine rebounds en route to 50 as a team. Four different Knicks (Hart, Anunoby, Hartenstein, and Precious Achuiwa) pulled in at least seven.
If the Knicks will gain sympathy for medical losses, they certainly won't find it from the Blazers, who continued to miss the services of Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant, Shaedon Sharpe, and Jabari Walker. Further Portland progress for Deandre Ayton proved to be their salvation once more, as 2018's top pick had 31 points and 14 rebounds in defeat.
With one down and three to go, the Knicks move on to part two of the road trip, which lands on Saturday night in Sacramento (10 p.m. ET, MSG).
