Jalen Brunson celebrates Karl-Anthony Towns for his contributions on the boards

The New York Knicks January ended on a high note, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 127-97 at Madison Square Garden on Friday night for their fifth straight win. Apart from the mere victory, the conquest also indicated a peak Jalen BrunsonA turning point for goals and the visible hegemony of the center Karl-Anthony Towns.

Brunson, now halfway through his eighth NBA season and fourth with New York, reached a major career milestone during the game, surpassing 10,000 career points. Entering the contest with 9,980 career points, Brunson scored 26 points in 34 minutes to reach the landmark. His stats also included three assists, two steals and one rebound. He shot 8 of 20 from the field, made five of 12 three-pointers and made all five of his free throws. The milestone tied him with Bill Cartwright for 10th all-time in 20-point games for the franchise, with 201 such outings.

Meanwhile, Towns grabbed 20 rebounds in 29 minutes, including six offensively, and finished with 14 points, three assists and one block. During the last two games, he collected 42 rebounds, 13 of which were offensive. Although his scoring efficiency has dipped this season and he’s been benched at times late in games due to foul trouble, Towns continues to make a significant impact through rebounding and fast breaks for the Knicks.

When asked about Towns’ comeback after the game, before Brunson could respond, Towns responded humbly, turning his attention back to hitting milestones:

“No one cares about the jump, I want to talk about 10,000 points, man!”

Then Brunson took the issue, praising Towns as he did he said:

“What he’s been doing these past few games has been great. That’s what we need from him. That’s what he brings to the table. Offensively, when the ball isn’t coming in as much as it should be, he finds a way to impact the game. I think that’s really important for us, and it’s a big game from him.”

Jalen Brunson was asked about the impact of Karl-Anthony Towns’ return

Towns: “Nobody cares about rebounding, I wanna talk about 10,000 points, man!”

Brunson: “What he’s been doing these last couple of games has been great. That’s what we need from him. That’s what he… pic.twitter.com/K7fOUddIRU

— Knicks Videos (@sni_knicks) January 31, 2026

The Knicks’ victory featured a strong start, with the Knicks leading 37-22 after the first quarter and holding a 68-48 advantage in the second half. Seven Knicks reached double figures. OG Anunoby recorded 24 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block; Josh Hart added 20 points with six rebounds; Tyler Kolek had 13 points and four assists; and Mikal Bridges and Mohamed Diawara scored 10 points each. Dillon Jones, who recently signed a two-way contract, made his New York debut, playing four minutes and hitting a 3-pointer.

The Knicks maintained their defensive excellence, holding an opponent under 100 points for the fourth time in five games. New York, now 30-18, is tied for second in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics, five games behind the Detroit Pistons.

The Knicks will look to carry the momentum into February when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.