Knicks star Jalen Brunson has rewritten the script on how he scores
TORONTO — Over the previous season, Brunson seemed to extinguish every opponent’s hope in tight moments. His moves were precise, his midrange jumpers fell like clockwork, and his and-1 finishes often sealed games. As New York’s captain, he earned the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year for consistently lifting his team in the game’s most critical moments throughout both the regular season and the playoffs. He achieved this even when guarded by opponents with a sizable physical advantage, establishing himself as a true scoring maestro.
Fast forward to the present, and Brunson has flipped the script. He isn’t required to haunt defenses as frequently in late moments; instead, he’s establishing control early in games, allowing the Knicks to reap the rewards in the fourth quarter.
Tuesday night’s 117-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Cup quarterfinals stood as the clearest illustration of Brunson’s renewed approach. He poured in 35 points, with 20 of them coming in the opening period. This season, Brunson is averaging 10.6 points in the first quarter, a stat that only Luka Dončić of the Los Angeles Lakers can top, and Dončić has played in fewer games.
“When you have one of the best players in the NBA on your team and you get to see him perform at a high level, it’s always enjoyable,” said Karl-Anthony Towns.
From the outset against Toronto, Brunson carried the offense. The Knicks’ defense faltered early, yielding 39 points, a number that can doom many teams. Yet Brunson kept the team afloat with surgical efficiency. Every one of his first-quarter points came via jumpers—the familiar pull-up threes, the rapid drive-and-step-back midrange shots—the kind of scoring that defined his reputation.
There was a stretch with roughly two minutes left in the first period that made you wonder if a historic 100-point night for Wilt Chamberlain could be topped. This performance wasn’t a conspiracy or an anomaly; it was a showcase that could be captured in real time for posterity.
It felt like one of those nights that solidifies a great scorer’s legacy—the kind that lingers in the memory of fans and coaches alike.
“His first-quarter performance bailed us out offensively,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “We stayed in the rhythm because Jalen opened with a big period, which is something he’s more than capable of doing. That’s the kind of thing you expect from a perennial MVP contender.”
Even Josh Hart, Brunson’s frequent foil in the best possible way, can’t help but compete with admiration. The two Villanova teammates have shared the court for years, and Hart has witnessed many Brunson miracles firsthand in New York.
Yet even Hart admitted he can’t resist marveling when Brunson locks into one of those scoring zones. Tuesday was one of those moments.
Of course, praise came with a playful jab in Brunson’s direction. “It’s hard not to notice when you’re not touching the ball,” Hart quipped. “There’s not much else to do but watch. Fortunately, he’s an incredibly gifted scorer, and I’m glad he’s on our side.”
Brunson finished the night 13 of 19 from the field. When asked to discuss his own performance, he remains modest and direct: “The ball found the hoop,” he said after tallying those 13 made baskets. There’s a calm, almost clinical confidence in him, a level-headedness that has followed him through the years.
By many measures, Brunson is arguably the finest scorer in the league on a per-possession basis. He can score from every location, whether attacking off the dribble or catching and shooting with efficiency. He gets to the free-throw line and does so with a listed height of 6 feet 2 inches. He isn’t the fastest or the most explosive jumper, yet his balance and two-footed footwork keep him in command against defenders who try to speed him up.
Darko Rajaković, the Raptors’ head coach, highlighted Brunson’s elite level of play, comparing him to Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić in terms of pace and decision-making. “He’s not the quickest or strongest, but his skill, shooting range, and feel for the game are extraordinary. He’s one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons,” Rajaković said. He also noted Brunson’s calm, deliberate approach—how he reads the defense and finds his spots with almost surgical precision.
The Knicks’ goal remains clear: win games without leaning on Brunson’s late-game heroics every time. Still, few players in the league can match his scoring prowess when he locks in, and sometimes the best approach is simply to let him takeover when the moment demands it.
