On the second night of a back-to-back, the New York Knicks did not come out with much energy against a Chicago Bulls team that had a rest advantage. But in the second half, the Knicks caught their second wind, flipping the game on its head by coming back from 22 down to put themselves in a position to win in the end. However, a heartbreaking turn of events transpired for the Knicks — with Jalen Brunson’s heartbreaking in-and-out miss at the buzzer proving to be the icing on top of the crap cake they were force fed.
“I mean, he contested it pretty well but I’ve worked on that shot since high school. Ball was halfway down, but, I mean, I can’t really say much about it,” Brunson told reporters following the game, per Knicks Videos by SNY on X (formerly known as Twitter).
"Ball was halfway down, but can't really say much about it."
Jalen Brunson talks about the look he got on the final shot of the game: pic.twitter.com/Fh7iXKtOcA
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 14, 2024
There is nothing that Brunson could say that would ease the pain of seeing a potential game-winner miss the way it did on Wednesday night. The Knicks look to him to be the one who carries them over the finish line, and for him to miss by that little will be hard for them to accept especially after their spirited comeback effort.
With this defeat, the Knicks fall below .500 at 5-6, as their early-season growing pains continue. They will have to get their defense sorted out so they don’t have to nail difficult fading jumpshots that have a high chance of missing just to win a game over a team expected to finish in the lottery such as the Bulls.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns wrestle for control over Knicks’ offense
Through the first 11 games of the season, Karl-Anthony Towns has emerged as the team’s undisputed best offensive option. Towns is a mismatch problem at the five, as his shooting, ballhandling, and speed tower in comparison to his peers. Towns scored 46 points on Wednesday night, continuing his torrid stretch.
But amid Towns’ emergence as the Knicks’ best offensive player thus far, Jalen Brunson has had to re-learn his place in the team’s offense. Brunson is still the team’s best scorer off the dribble, and as shown on Wednesday, he is still their best option in the clutch — nearly coming through for them like he has done so many times in the past.
Brunson simply has to be more efficient moving forward as the Knicks look to find a greater balance between their star players.
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