Knicks’ Jalen Brunson ‘pissed off’ about free-throw line struggles
TORONTO — Jalen Brunson is again putting together a season worthy of All-NBA consideration, carrying the Knicks with his scoring, leadership and, more than ever, his passing.
But there is one area of Brunson’s game that has been frustrating: his free-throw shooting.
“I get a little pissed off about it,” said Brunson, who scored 28 points in the Knicks’ 121-115 win over the Raptors on Tuesday night. “It’s stupid. And it’s pissing me off talking about it now.”
After missing 2 of 8 free throws in Tuesday’s win over the Raptors, Brunson is down to 81.3 percent for the season — his lowest since his 2020-21 campaign.
He said there’s no difference in the form and the remedy is more practice.
“It sucks. The ball’s not going in. No different routine,” Brunson said. “I just have to be better focused at the free-throw line. It’s pissing me the hell off. I’m not going to lie. I’m going to go in and make a couple hundred this week.”
With OG Anunoby out for a second straight game, the Knicks again started Precious Achiuwa (17 points, eight rebounds, 36 minutes) but also turned to rookie Ariel Hukporti, who logged 19 minutes with six points and five rebounds.
Interestingly and successfully, Tom Thibodeau deployed Hukporti and Karl-Anthony Towns together for stretches in the first half — the first time Towns played alongside a traditional center for meaningful minutes this season.
It looked good and is perhaps a precursor to when, or if, Mitchell Robinson returns from his ankle surgery. Robinson and Hukporti, after all, have similar rim-running styles.
Mikal Bridges kept his streak alive Tuesday and played in his 525th consecutive game after being listed on the injury report for the first time this season with ankle soreness.
Bridges, who hasn’t missed a game since being drafted in 2018, appeared to twist his ankle on a defender’s foot while going for a layup in Monday’s victory over the Rockets.
Bridges, 27, owns the league’s longest active consecutive-games played streak, by far. He also entered Tuesday averaging a career-high 38.3 minutes, leading the NBA.
Thibodeau said he’s “hopeful” Robinson practices this week for the first time this season. Still, the coach cautioned that the center still “has a number of steps to clear.”
Robinson, recovering from ankle surgery, was cleared for contact on Monday.
The Knicks have three days off before their next game Saturday against the Celtics.
The trade deadline is Thursday.
“It’s good to have him cleared for contact and then you have to see how he responds to contact the day after the contact,” Thibodeau said. “But he’s doing great. He’s champing at the bit. So you just have to go step by step.”
Anunoby, who was traded from the Raptors for RJ Barrett last season, did not travel with the team to Toronto and missed his second straight game because of a foot sprain.
“Day to day, you see each day how he responds,” Thibodeau said.
