Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony lead Knicks to win over Suns

PHOENIX — There’s something about this arena for Jalen Brunson. And having Karl-Anthony Towns as a teammate helps.

A year after dropping his first 50-yard bomb in Phoenix, Brunson turned in his best performance of the young season with 36 points and 10 assists to bury the Suns in a 138-122 Wednesday cruise.

Brunson shot 12-for-21, including 7 of 11 from 3, and was joined in the efficiency fest by Towns, who added 34 points and 10 boards.

They switched – Brunson had 23 points in the first half, Towns dropped 23 in the second.

The streaky Knicks (9-6), a budding powerhouse on offense, won their fourth straight game.

“Guys are starting to get used to playing off each other,” Tom Thibodeau said. “Every game you can tell they’re seeing things. They read the game really well. I think they create good spacing. They cut extremely well and what that does is it opens up the floor and we make plays in space .And everyone is unselfish. We had 30 assists. I think that’s huge.”

In three games at Footprint Arena as a Knick, Brunson has averaged 37.7 points. He kept the game going in his 50-point outburst from last season in Phoenix, which Brunson values ​​more than the 61-point gem in San Antonio a few months later.

“It doesn’t count,” Brunson said, “we lost.”

The Knicks certainly didn’t lose on Wednesday. In fact, they never trailed against the shorthanded Suns (9-7).

Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, two of Phoenix’s Big 3, were both out with injuries. The Suns are very beatable and just 1-6 without Durant, who has a calf injury and no return timetable.

Phoenix had neither defense nor backup for Devin Booker on Wednesday.

The Knicks (9-6) were missing key bench players but have avoided the devastating injury bug that has plagued the NBA to start this campaign. Thibodeau, an advocate against load management, said the secret to health is consistent conditioning.

“There’s value in being in good shape all the time,” Thibodeau said. “So you have to do everything you can to prepare yourself to endure a long season. I think when you look at the players who have been durable, they’re usually the ones who are in incredible shape, who stay in shape all year round and prepare for what they have to go through.”

The Knicks were certainly the healthier and fresher side Wednesday from tip-off. Their first quarter was an offensive clinic. That set the tone for the blowout.

The Knicks scored 44 points, dished out 14 assists and shot 18-for-23, including 8-for-11 from beyond the arc. Brunson was the catalyst with 11 points and six assists on perfect shooting in the opening period.

“The ball was moving,” Brunson said. “And the ball went in the hole early.”

The lead increased to 18 at the break. The Suns, devoid of firepower outside of Booker (33 points, 38 minutes), never responded. The Knicks shot 58 percent overall and 49 percent on treys. Josh Hart chipped in with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Each starter scored at least 14 points, repeating the balance that has helped the team through the first 15 games.

It was a strong start to a Western Conference trip with stops in Utah, Denver and Dallas.

Brunson again handled his business in Phoenix with Towns’ assistance.