Brunson's 45 Powers Knicks Past Blazers

Jalen Brunson put on an epic scoring display, pouring in 45 points to power the New York Knicks past the Portland Trail Blazers 105-93 on Thursday night. The dynamic guard was simply unstoppable, hitting tough shots from all over the floor against Portland’s overmatched defenders.

Brunson’s performance was one for the ages, representing the 10th 40-point game of his career. He narrowly missed tying his career-high of 50 points set back in December against the Phoenix Suns. The prolific scoring outburst left the Blazers searching for answers as Brunson seemed to have the hot hand from the opening tip.

“He was just in an unbelievable zone tonight,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “When Jalen gets going like that, he’s tough to slow down. The way he was getting to his spots and knocking down those tough fallaways and pull-ups, it was special to watch.”

Brunson was ultra-efficient, going 14-of-30 from the field while getting to the foul line 17 times and knocking down 15 of those free throw attempts. His sweet shooting stroke and ability to draw fouls posed a matchup nightmare that Portland simply could not solve.

“I was just feeling it tonight, playing with great confidence and aggression,” Brunson said. “My teammates did a good job getting me open looks and I was able to capitalize by making the defense pay.”

While Brunson provided the headlining act, OG Anunoby and Donte DiVincenzo chipped in 12 points apiece for the Knicks. New York held a 14-point halftime lead and never looked back, leading by as many as 20 points in a well-rounded team road victory.

On the other side, Deandre Ayton battled valiantly with 31 points and 14 rebounds for the shorthanded Blazers. Portland was without starters Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant due to injuries. Dalano Banton added 16 points off the bench.

But this night belonged to Brunson and his brilliance from start to finish. He continues emerging as a go-to scorer and legitimate star to complement the Knicks’ talented core.

“That’s just an elite performance from an elite player,” Thibodeau said. “When Jalen gets going at that level, it’s something to behold.”

The Knicks will look to ride Brunson’s momentum into their next game on a daunting four-game road swing out West. As for the Trail Blazers, they’ll have to lick their wounds from a tough beating courtesy of Brunson’s career-night onslaught.