INDIANAPOLIS — This road trip started with questions about Jalen Brunson’s health and it ended with him producing yet another brilliant offensive performance.
Brunson notched his fifth 30-point game of the season, and rallied the Knicks back from a six-point deficit in the final 1:56, first hitting a 3-pointer and then coming up with a huge steal and layup in their 109-106 win over the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.
Despite a right foot contusion, Brunson scored 82 points in the three victories on the trip, made 12 of 18 3-point attempts and played at least 31 minutes in each game. So much for that injury slowing him down. He finished Sunday with 30 points on 11-for-22 shooting and hit all three of his 3-point tries. He also had four assists and two steals as the Knicks won their seventh straight game.
While he was being interviewed by reporters, Immanuel Quickley jokingly called him, “BrunsHim,” a flattering nickname Knicks fans have given their new point guard on social media. Brunson responded by calling Quickley, “Himanuel.”
“Surprised, no,” Brunson said, when asked about how well he played over the past week despite the injury. “But I just feel like I have a great set of teammates that keep me confident and level-headed, all that stuff. It’s a credit to them.”
In Chicago, the Knicks bludgeoned the Bulls from beyond the arc. Sunday evening, they were the ones on the wrong end of the all-and-important 3-point shot. The Pacers outscored the Knicks by 15 points from deep. After making 35 of 78 3-point attempts in back-to-back wins over the Bulls, the Knicks were just 8 of 26 while the Pacers hit 13 of 38.
Quickley’s shooting issues continued on Sunday in a 2-for-8 performance. In the previous five games, he was 15-for-52. … Julius Randle moved past Nate Robinson for ninth on the Knicks’ career 3-point list with 415. He is also now 28th on the Knicks’ all-time scoring list with 5,083 points after passing Walt Bellamy. … Mitchell Robinson’s four blocks were his most since he registered five in a loss to the Grizzlies on Nov. 27. … The Knicks are one of only three teams with double-digit road wins, along with the Celtics and Trail Blazers. They are 10-6 on the road.