Jalen Brunson Earns Early-Season NBA Award After Knicks’ Hot Streak

Jalen Brunson helped the New York Knicks get back above .500, and the NBA recognized him for it Monday. Brunson was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Nov. 2–8 after New York beat Brooklyn, Chicago and Cleveland to finish Week 3 at 5-4.

Brunson averaged 27.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists across the three wins.

The Knicks got something different from him in each game, from getting others involved against Brooklyn to carrying a heavier scoring load against Chicago and Cleveland.

Brunson opened the week with 19 points and six assists in a 103-90 win over the Nets. He shot 6-for-16 from the field, but four of those makes came from beyond the arc. New York won by double digits on a night when its lead guard’s shot wasn’t falling consistently.

The Chicago game was a different story. Brunson scored 33 points in 28 minutes, going 10-for-17 from the field and 5-for-10 from deep in a 135-105 win. He did his scoring in three quarters, and the Knicks had enough separation to give him the fourth off.

Five made 3-pointers stand out for a guard who can make a defense pay from so many spots inside the arc. When Brunson is pulling up confidently from deep, defenders have to meet him farther from the basket.

That gives him more room to change speeds, get to his preferred spots or draw help and find a teammate. Chicago saw how quickly the scoring can pile up when those outside shots are going in.

Brunson closed the week with 31 points, nine assists and six rebounds in a 109-97 road win over the Cavaliers. It was his highest assist total of the three games, and it came in a tighter contest than the Chicago blowout.

That game made the award case stronger than the scoring average alone. Brunson went from taking 17 shots against Chicago to 25 against Cleveland, and his assists climbed from four to nine. New York could lean on him to get his own shot while still getting the chances he creates for everyone else.

Karl-Anthony Towns was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award, along with Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Having two Knicks on the list reflected a week in which New York got contributions beyond Brunson, even as he delivered back-to-back 30-point games.

The Knicks are still early in the season, but the three wins gave them a run they can build on. Brunson’s best game as a scorer came against Chicago. His most complete game came on the road against Cleveland, where the Knicks needed both his 31 points and the nine assists that went with them.