Knicks beat Suns as Jalen Brunson scores 36, Karl-Anthony Towns adds 34

On By Littum

PHOENIX – Jalen Brunson scored 36 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 34 and the New York Knicks beat the Phoenix Suns 138-122 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.

All five Knicks starters scored in double figures. Josh Hart had 19 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Devin Booker scored 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the injury-plagued Suns, who have lost five straight.

New York never trailed and hit its first eight shots, including four 3-pointers. The Knicks carried that momentum into a 44-28 advantage after one quarter and a 76-58 halftime lead. Brunson had 23 points before halftime on 8-for-9 shooting, including hitting all four 3s.

The Suns cut the deficit to 88-77 midway through the third quarter, but the Knicks responded with an 11-2 run.

Phoenix star Kevin Durant missed his seventh straight game with a left calf strain. Teammate and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal was out for the fifth straight game, also with a strained left calf.

Takeaways

Knicks: New York is starting to look like the team many envisioned when they traded for Towns — a four-time All-Star — before the season. The starting lineup is deep with scoring opportunities and makes it difficult for the opponent’s defense.

Sun: It’s been a rough patch of late for Phoenix, and the struggles can’t be entirely blamed on injuries. They came out flat against the Knicks, especially on defense, giving up easy transitions and good looks from 3-point range.

Key moment

Brunson drained a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession — a harbinger of things to come.

Key state

The Knicks shot 18 for 23 (78.3%) in the first quarter, including 8 for 11 (72.7%) from 3-point range.

Next

The Knicks travel to Utah on Saturday and the Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.