TORONTO — Jalen Brunson is once more placing collectively a season worthy of All-NBA consideration, carrying the Knicks together with his scoring, management and, greater than ever, his passing.
However there’s one space of Brunson’s sport that has been irritating: his free-throw capturing.
“I get a little bit 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 silly. And it’s pissing me off speaking 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 type and the treatment is extra follow.
“It sucks. The ball’s not getting in. No totally different routine,” Brunson mentioned. “I simply need to be higher centered on 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 pair 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.
Curiously 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 regarded 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 kinds.
Mikal Bridges saved 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 plenty 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 in opposition to the Celtics.
The commerce deadline is Thursday.
“It’s good to have him cleared for contact after which it’s important to see how he responds to contact the day after the contact,” Thibodeau mentioned. “However he’s doing nice. He’s champing on the bit. So that you simply need to go step-by-step.”
Anunoby, who was traded from the Raptors for RJ Barrett final season, didn’t journey with the crew to Toronto and missed his second straight sport due to a foot sprain.
“Everyday, you see every day how he responds,” Thibodeau mentioned.