Did Knicks Make Statement? Jalen Brunson Responds

On a night where the New York Yankees embarked on their first World Series endeavor in 15 years, the New York Knicks might’ve hit the biggest home run.

Eager to atone for Tuesday’s beatdown in Boston, the Knicks hit on all cylinders in their home opener on Friday evening. Such cohesion yielded a 123-98 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the debut Madison Square Garden showing of the season as well as slight revenge against the visitors, who infamously ended New York’s most recent playoff run last spring.

When asked by MSG Network’s Alan Hahn if the contest was “a statement”, Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson hinted that the recovery in front of a supportive home crowd made Friday’s game just a little more satisfying as the team continues trending upwards.

“If you want it to be,” Brunson said. “But I’ll just say this: for us to come back after (Tuesday), I mean, turn the page, we got to continue to get better every day, but this is a step in the right direction for us.”

Brunson scored a game-best 26 points in front of an “electric” MSG crowd en route to the first win under his captaincy. Turning a Pascal Siakam miss into a coast-to-coast finger roll that sank despite plenty of uncharged contact served as a de facto turning point: while Brunson didn’t get an and-one, he did ignite a 15-8 run to close the period, one that gave the Knicks a permanent double-figure lead.

“I already knew how talented he was,” Karl-Anthony Towns said of Brunson after his MSG debut in video from SNY’s Ian Begley. “(It’s) just making sure you let him do what he does best and get out of the way. (I’m) blessed we have a chance to call him Cap.”

But Friday’s game will no doubt be remembered for the way the Knicks’ new and old pieces all came together to produce a sizable win.

Brunson’s past and present teammate Mikal Bridges was perhaps the undisputed star of the night: his two-way game was prominently on display with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting while playing his part in a sterling defensive performance that yielded 27 points off turnovers and held Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton scoreless. For context, Indiana was the highest-scoring team in the league last regular season and was held to double-figures on only one occasion.

Bridges and Brunson made half of a quartet that scored at least 20 for the Knicks. The other two, Josh Hart (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Bridges’ fellow newcomer Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points, 15 rebounds), each put up double-doubles.

“It can be anyone’s night any given night,” Brunson said of the new Knicks lineup. “For us, we’re doing whatever we can to find ways to win and doing what it takes.”

The new-look Knicks (1-1) will be back in action on Monday when they welcome in the Cleveland Cavalivers (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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