NEW YORK — It was about an hour before game time Monday afternoon that the Knicks announced that Jalen Brunson was back in the lineup after sitting out the last three games with a sore right hip. And it took just minutes after the game began that the difference was evident of what the Knicks look like with him back.
Brunson didn’t even score a point in the first quarter, but his presence and leadership quickly displayed a different Knicks team as they took the game over almost from the start. And when he shook the rust off he led the Knicks on an explosive 21-0 second-quarter burst to turn the game into a laugher, a 102-83 beatdown of the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden.
Brunson in the lineup on any night or day is a crucial part of the Knicks' success, but this one brought back memories of Brunson and the Dallas Mavericks pummeling the Suns in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals last season. The Knicks lost two of three games in Brunson’s absence, the only win against Houston, the worst team in the West. And even if the Suns were missing Devin Booker and Cam Johnson, they carried a 20-17 record into the game.
Asked what the Knicks have missed in Brunson’s absence, coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t point to scoring or defense.
“I think just overall leadership,” Thibodeau said. “That position is one of control and managing the game and the team. The good thing is we’ve had some guys get some experience in those situations. So I think down the road, that’s going to be helpful for us.”
Julius Randle led the Knicks (20-18) with 28 points and 16 rebounds, and heard the "MVP" chants at the Garden that were regularly sounded two seasons ago. Brunson contributed 24 points and six assists, and seemed to make things easier for everyone — including the coach.
“I think it’s huge,” Thibodeau said. “You guys have seen it. When you have an elite-level point guard like that, he can provide what the game needs. I always say he’s a playmaker but not just in the sense of passing the ball. If we need more scoring, he’ll give us more scoring. He reads the game extremely well. He understands what our opponent is trying to do. He knows where the holes in each defense is.
“I think he has the ability to bring the best out of people. So I think all that stuff, and he’s got a great demeanor. The fourth quarter I always say is a lot different, the last five minutes of the game is a lot different and his poise under pressure is elite.”
The Knicks dominated from the start, opening up a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter and extending it to 23-11 at the end of the quarter. Phoenix connected on only 5 of 22 shots, including 1-for-10 beyond the arc. And it got worse for the Suns in the second quarter.
Leading 31-20 the Knicks embarked on a 21-0 run, hitting 11 of their first 12 shots in the quarter, including all five from three-point range, for a 52-20 lead.
