Jalen Brunson erupted for 55 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 136-132 overtime win on the road against the Washington Wizards on Saturday. The lefty guard scattered nine points in the extra period to drag his team to the finish line. Brunson’s output was the fourth-highest this season in the NBA.
Basketball fans promptly reacted to his performance:
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“My goodness, insane numbers”
@SonicsMuse said:
“Brunson said wake up call to the league”
@clinkie44 added:
“55 points from little Jalen is insane!!!!”
One fan commented:
“Didn’t score in the 2nd quarter…Unreal!”
Another fan reacted:
“Not surprising Bro is a top 3- 4 pg at his best”
Brunson finished the game with 55 points on 18-for-31 shooting but went 3-for-11 from deep. He made up for it with a 16-for-17 clip from the free throw line. The Knicks needed everything they could get from the star point guard to hold off the usually inefficient Washington Wizards.
The Wizards entered the game with the worst offensive rating (104.1 ORTG) in the NBA and 26th in the NBA in points per game (107.6 PPG). On Saturday night, the host team blew those numbers off. Seven Wizards, led by Justin Champagnie’s 31 points, reached double-digit scoring. Jonas Valanciunas (eight points) was the only one who failed to join the group.
The New York Knicks needed a Jalen Brunson eruption, particularly in overtime to win their seventh straight game.
The Washington Wizards get another shot at Jalen Brunson on Monday
The Washington Wizards, 0-2 in the season against the New York Knicks, get another shot at slowing down Jalen Brunson on Monday. After seeing Brunson explode for 55 points, the Wizards can try to put the lid on him in the rematch.
This season, the All-Star guard is averaging 40.5 points and 10.0 assists per game against Washington. He is hitting 58.7% of his shots, including 40.0% from behind the arc.
The Wizards are 28th in defensive rating (117.6) and give up 121.8 PPG, the worst in the NBA. For Washington to break through against its nemesis, it must step up defensively to contain Brunson.
Edited by Michael Macasero
