Picking Up The Slack

On a night when their point guard didn't have it, Jalen Brunson's teammates rose up to the challenge

Good morning! Beating those guys never gets old.

Game 53: Knicks 128, Pacers 115

• With OG still out, the Knicks got off to another clunky start, falling behind 24-17 late in the first quarter.

• With Brunson struggling and Myles Turner sidelined, Karl-Anthony Towns put the offense on his back and carried New York to a 68-60 halftime lead with 24 first half points.

• Josh Hart picked up the baton in the third with a virtuoso two-way performance.

• Behind an incredible effort from the bench, the Knicks turned a tight game into a blowout, going up 123-105 before Indy waived the white flag.

Jalen, take us home.

Over the two and a half years since he signed with New York and put the Knicks back on the map, Jalen Brunson has carried his team across a lot of finish lines.

Whether the request is literal or figurative, the implication is always clear: We’ve come this far. Now it’s your time to shine.

More often than not, Brunson has been up to the task.

That recent history was on everyone’s mind as New York’s star guard picked up his fifth foul with 8:42 remaining in the third quarter last night. Jalen had been having a quiet evening thus far, but it was still going to be a tall ask for the Knicks to hang onto the rope until their leading man could get back in for crunch time.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the fourth: crunch time never came.

Behind a transcendent performance from Josh Hart, a brilliant showing by New York’s bench, and Karl-Anthony Towns giving Indy defenders nightmares, the Knicks put the game away before Brunson ever re-took the floor.

Best of all, they closed the door with defense.