Jalen Brunson’s career-high eight 3s help lead Knicks to victory over Hawks
ATLANTA — Jalen Brunson turned his back to the basket, put his first web space — the crevice between the thumb and index finger — to his nose and got back on defense. Then he buried the Atlanta Hawks under a pile of treys in a career night from downtown to secure the Knicks’ first victory of the season — a 126-120 win over the Hawks at the State Farm Arena to kick off a three-game road trip.
And a treacherous season-opening schedule for a team looking to repeat last season’s playoff success.
Their odds start with Brunson, whose 3-point celebration fans have grown accustomed to seeing despite his all-out refusal to disclose its origins. The gesture was first popularized by Argentinian soccer player Paulo Dybala.
Now it’s a telltale sign the Knicks’ floor general is cooking from downtown.
Brunson hit his signature celebration after making his third 3-pointer against the Hawks on Wednesday. The star guard finished with a game-high 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field and 8-of-12 shooting from downtown. His eight 3s were the most of his career. Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson holds the record at 14, and a number of NBA players have hit nine or more.
Eight was the magic number on Friday, and it was a welcome sight after Brunson shot poorly in the home opener at Madison Square Garden, where he connected on just six of his 21 attempts from the field and shot 3 of 8 from downtown.
When the opponent isn’t a stacked conference juggernaut with the league’s best defensive backcourt, Brunson can be as dominant of a scorer at the point guard position as any of the NBA’s stars.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder saw it coming hours ahead of tipoff.
The former Utah Jazz head coach game-planned against Brunson for four seasons when he was a member of the Dallas Mavericks prior to his deal with the Knicks last summer. Snyder said he wasn’t surprised with Brunson’s ascent to stardom in New York.
“Not in the slightest,” the Hawks coach said ahead of tipoff against the Knicks on Friday. “Beginning when he was in college, the command that he had over the game, his understanding. He’s unique in his ability to play with his feet on the floor and the way that he changes speed and his strengths.”
He also recounted the 2022 first-round playoff series against the Mavericks, where Luka Doncic missed the first three games of the series. Brunson shouldered the scoring load. The Mavericks eventually won in six games
“That series, he was the best player on the floor and Luka was out, and there’s times where he was the best player on the floor when Luka was in,” Snyder recalled. “So it was very obvious the level that he was capable of playing at, and it showed certainly at that point, too, to people that saw that.”
Julius Randle shot poorly from the field but finished with a near triple-double — 17 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists — while Donte DiVincenzo scored his first points as a Knick on Friday. After going scoreless against the Celtics, DiVincenzo scored 15 points off the bench against the Hawks.
The Knicks held star guard Trae Young to just 18 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the field. They will need the same defensive effort in the second game of a back-to-back against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
