TORONTO — Jalen Brunson is once more placing collectively a season worthy of All-NBA consideration, carrying the Knicks along with his scoring, management and, greater than ever, his passing.
However there may be one space of Brunson’s sport that has been irritating: his free-throw capturing.
“I get a little pissed off about it,” mentioned Brunson, who scored 28 factors within the Knicks’ 121-115 win over the Raptors on Tuesday night time. “It’s stupid. And it’s pissing me off talking about it now.”
After lacking 2 of 8 free throws in Tuesday’s win over the Raptors, Brunson is right down to 81.3 % for the season — his lowest since his 2020-21 marketing campaign.
He mentioned there’s no distinction within the kind and the treatment is extra apply.
“It sucks. The ball’s not going in. No different routine,” Brunson mentioned. “I just have to be better focused at the free-throw line. It’s pissing me the hell off. I’m not going to lie. I’m going to go in and make a couple hundred this week.”
With OG Anunoby out for a second straight sport, the Knicks once more began Valuable Achiuwa (17 factors, eight rebounds, 36 minutes) but additionally turned to rookie Ariel Hukporti, who logged 19 minutes with six factors and 5 rebounds.
Apparently and efficiently, Tom Thibodeau deployed Hukporti and Karl-Anthony Cities collectively for stretches within the first half — the primary time Cities performed alongside a standard middle for significant minutes this season.
It appeared good and is probably a precursor to when, or if, Mitchell Robinson returns from his ankle surgical procedure. Robinson and Hukporti, in any case, have related rim-running types.
Mikal Bridges stored his streak alive Tuesday and performed in his 525th consecutive sport after being listed on the damage report for the primary time this season with ankle soreness.
Bridges, who hasn’t missed a sport since being drafted in 2018, appeared to twist his ankle on a defender’s foot whereas going for a layup in Monday’s victory over the Rockets.
Bridges, 27, owns the league’s longest lively consecutive-games performed streak, by far. He additionally entered Tuesday averaging a career-high 38.3 minutes, main the NBA.
Thibodeau mentioned he’s “hopeful” Robinson practices this week for the primary time this season. Nonetheless, the coach cautioned that the middle nonetheless “has a number of steps to clear.”
Robinson, recovering from ankle surgical procedure, was cleared for contact on Monday.
The Knicks have three days off earlier than their subsequent sport Saturday towards the Celtics.
The commerce deadline is Thursday.
“It’s good to have him cleared for contact and then you have to see how he responds to contact the day after the contact,” Thibodeau mentioned. “But he’s doing great. He’s champing at the bit. So you just have to go step by step.”
Anunoby, who was traded from the Raptors for RJ Barrett final season, didn’t journey with the group to Toronto and missed his second straight sport due to a foot sprain.
“Day to day, you see each day how he responds,” Thibodeau mentioned.
