Jalen Brunson bails out Knicks as Mikal Bridges bottoms out against lowly Hornets
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Knicks should’ve had a great deal on Black Friday against a battered, bottom-dwelling opponent.
Instead, they paid full retail price for a 99-98 victory, a performance that required a fourth-quarter burst from Jalen Brunson as Mikal Bridges watched most of the comeback from the bench.
“We came out really soft, made some runs, and then they made some shots where it looked like they just were going to get away from us,” Brunson said. “We kept fighting and found a way to get a win. So a win is a win and we learn from it.”
Brunson dropped 11 of his 31 points in the final period, including foul shots with 8.6 seconds left that iced it for the Knicks (11-8).
But it shouldn’t have been that close.
The Hornets (6-13) were rolling with a skeleton crew due to injuries, with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, among other regulars, inactive. Their starting lineup resembled a G League outfit with Vasilije Micic, Moussa Diabate and Tidjane Salaun.
Yet, Charlotte led for most of the game and had a chance for a go-ahead trey from Cody Martin that bounced off the rim with 23 seconds remaining.
Brunson grabbed the rebound and hit three of his four free throws in the final 15 seconds.
Despite the circumstances being heavily in their favor Friday, the Knicks were happy to escape and conclude a 3-2 road trip around Thanksgiving.
“Tough road trip. Just to add to the difficulty, I think all of us wanted to be with our families on Thanksgiving,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 19 points in 39 minutes with 12 rebounds and five assists. “I was really proud about what we were able to do [against the Hornets]. To stay connected. Games like this haven’t gone our way. So for us to get this win is a step in the right direction for our team.”
The Knicks are now 3-0 in the NBA Cup, with the decisive game Tuesday against the Magic.
The winner will finish atop Group A with automatic advancement to the quarterfinals.
But the Knicks have too many issues to worry much about Adam Silver’s beloved tournament.
They again started poorly Friday — similar to Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks — managing just 15 points in the opening quarter and finishing the game with almost as many turnovers (19) as assists (20).
With about 8 ½ minutes remaining and the Knicks trailing by four, Tom Thibodeau pulled Bridges and only brought him back for three defensive possessions.
The Knicks used a 16-6 run in the middle of the fourth quarter — mostly without Bridges — to squeak by.
“Outside looking in, obviously [the Hornets] got some key guys out. And they think, ‘That’s going to be an easy game.’ That’s not how the NBA works,” said Josh Hart, who dropped 13 points with 12 rebounds in 41 minutes. “That’s a good team with good young guys. Early start [noon tip-off] … So sometimes that’s the toughest games. So we’re happy to come out with a ‘W,’ end the road trip with a win and keep it moving.”
Brunson’s pull-up jump shot with about five minutes remaining put them up for good.
Beginning Sunday against the depleted Pelicans, the Knicks have four consecutive home games with a day off between each.
“I felt it was going to be a physical game and we were going to need energy — a lot of it — and so we just kept working the game, working the game and then found a way to win down the stretch,” Thibodeau said. “I’m looking for our improvement daily, so to come out of the trip with three wins — we’re .500 on the road now [6-6 overall]. We get a chance to be back home and concentrate on the improvement.”
