Brunson-Towns tandem starting to find groove

The Knicks won their fourth straight game in a 138-122 victory Wednesday in Phoenix to bring their record to 9-6 on the season. Both Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns dominated the game, with Brunson scoring 36 points (12-21 FG, 7-11 3PT), and dishing out 10 assists, while Towns scored 34 points (12-19 FG, 3-8 3PT) and grabbed 10 rebounds.
A big part of the Knicks’ recent success has been the establishment of Towns’ role in the offense and Brunson’s ability to get him the ball. During the team’s 1-2 start, the big man only averaged nine shots a game and wasn’t a focal point in the offense. That quickly changed on Oct. 30, when the team made a concerted effort to feed him the ball, resulting in a 44-point, 17-25 shooting effort against Miami and the start of a run that saw them win eight of their next 12 games.
Over the last dozen contests, Towns has averaged 29.9 ppg, which would currently be tied with Jayson Tatum for third-highest in the league, while Brunson has averaged what would be a career-best eight assists per game. Notably, during this 12-game stretch, Brunson has recorded 10-plus assists on four occasions, something he did just nine times in 77 regular-season games last season.
The connection has resulted in the Knicks becoming one of the elite offenses to date this season. During the 12-game stretch, they have averaged 119.8 ppg, which is third highest in the league. They’ve also shot 50.6% from the floor (second best) and 39.9% from 3 (third best). By comparison, last season New York averaged 112.8 ppg (19th), 46.5% shooting from the field (20th), and 36.9% from 3 (14th).
It may still be early in the 2024-25 campaign, but it’s obvious that this new duo is starting to fire on all cylinders and propelling the Knicks’ offense to new heights.
You catch the Knicks in action again on Saturday against the Jazz at 5 ET on NBA TV.