Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Jalen Brunson delivered a 55-point masterpiece as the New York Knicks rallied from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Washington Wizards 136-132 in overtime on Saturday. Brunson scored 42 of his points in the second half and overtime to help the Knicks fend off the lowly Wizards for a seventh straight NBA victory. It was his third 50-point game as a Knick, and New York needed all of his output against a Washington team playing without Kyle Kuzma and their leading scorer Jordan Poole.
Justin Champagnie put up a career-high 31 points for the Wizards, who led by as many as 11 in the third quarter and took an eight-point lead into the fourth. They pushed their lead to 100-90 early in the final period and after a pair of lead changes, the Wizards were up 119-114 with 1:07 remaining. Brunson converted a three-point play then tied it at 119-119 with another driving basket and they went to overtime, where Brunson and Josh Hart each drilled a pair of clutch free-throws to close it out.
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“We were a step behind until the fourth,” Brunson said. “(We) found a way to turn it up and came out with the win.” Brunson connected on 18 of 31 shots from the floor and made three of the Knicks’ 10 three-pointers. “I read the game, and then I find a way to impact it,” he said. “Tonight it was scoring.” He was particularly pleased to hit 16 of his 17 free-throws — including making five of six from the line in overtime. “It’s great, knowing I haven’t made a bunch of free throws this year; I’ve been terrible. But I made it when it was needed,” Brunson said.
Elsewhere in the league, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points and Jalen Williams added 20 for the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder in a comfortable 106-94 victory over the Hornets in Charlotte. It was a 10th straight regular-season win for the Thunder — a run broken up by a loss to Milwaukee in the NBA Cup final which didn’t count toward the season schedule.
In Chicago, Josh Giddey scored 23 points with 15 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Bulls in a 116-111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, who were without ailing star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls. Damian Lillard, who like Antetokounmpo had been listed as questionable for the game because of illness, scored 29 points and handed out 11 assists for the Bucks.
– Lakers win without LeBron –
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was also sidelined by illness, but the Lakers, fueled by 36 points from Anthony Davis, beat the Sacramento Kings 132-122. Davis added 15 rebounds and eight assists, and Austin Reaves scored 26 points with 16 assists for the Lakers. De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points and handed out 12 assists for the Kings, who were playing their first game since head coach Mike Brown was sacked. Doug Christie, promoted to the interim head coach job, presided over their sixth straight defeat.
In San Francisco, Jonathan Kuminga matched his career high with 34 points and drilled three free-throws in the final 29 seconds to help the Golden State Warriors hold off the Phoenix Suns 109-105. Dennis Schroder struggled much of the night but produced a huge three-pointer with 1:23 remaining, then forced a turnover and made a pair of clutch free-throws for the Warriors, who snapped a three-game skid. Stephen Curry scored 22 points and Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis added 16 apiece for Golden State while Kevin Durant paced the Suns with 31.
In Denver, Nikola Jokic scored 37 points and Jamal Murray added 34 for the Nuggets, who withstood Detroit’s fourth-quarter surge for a 134-121 victory over the Pistons. In Portland, Shaedon Sharpe scored 23 points to lead six Trail Blazers players to score in double figures in a 126-122 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Kyrie Irving scored 46 points for Dallas, who were again without injured star Luka Doncic as well as Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington — who were suspended for their roles in an on-court fracas during Friday’s game against the Suns.
© 2024 AFP
