Jalen Brunson joins the NBA’s elite club with a 40-point masterclass against the Magic

The New York Knicks they progressed to NBA Cup finals after a 132-120 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday in Las Vegas, led by a stunning 40-point performance from guard Jalen Brunson.

In 39 minutes on the court, Brunson also recorded eight assists, four rebounds and one steal, shooting 16 of 27 from the field, including 2 of 5 from three-point range and 6 of 9 from the free throw line. He scored 25 of his points in the first half on 10-of-17 shooting. It was his fourth straight game with 30 or more points.

After tonight’s performance, the 29-year-old became only the third player to score 40 or more points in the NBA Cup knockout round, joining Anthony Davis (41 points, 2023) and Julius Randle (41 points, 2023).

The game was intense from the first whistle, and Orlando held a 36-33 lead after the first quarter. Responding in the second quarter, New York went 38 to the Magic’s 28, swinging the momentum in their favor. The Knicks’ offense was efficient, shooting 60.7% overall, making 23 free throws and blocking seven shots, while holding Orlando to 46% shooting, 17 free throws and three blocks.

Karl-Anthony Towns also had a strong performance for New Yorkfinished with 29 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one block while shooting 9-of-11 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. OG Anunoby had 24 points and six rebounds, Mikal Bridges followed with 16 points and three rebounds, and Josh Hart had 12 points and six boards.

The Knicks have won five straight, matching their season streak, and improved to 18-7 overall. They currently hold second place in the Eastern Conference standings, three games ahead of the Boston Celtics and 3.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors, while trailing the Detroit Pistons by two games.

The Magic fought bravely despite the absence of Franz Wagner, due to a high ankle sprain. Jalen Suggs scored a game-high 26 points, including 25 in the first half. but he came out in the fourth quarter with 7:35 remaining due to a left hip problem. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bain scored 25 and 18 points, respectively, but Orlando couldn’t counter New York’s late third-quarter surge, which included an 8-0 run to turn a 92-92 tie into a 100-92 lead, followed by a 10-0 run to make it 102-92.

Brunson put the cherry on top of his night with a step-back jumper with 2:47 left to make it 40 pointsand Hart’s layup with 1:20 left ensured the Knicks held on for the victory.

New York will now face the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday in Las Vegas.