NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson did not know the place issues stood across the NBA because the Knicks have been deep into their closing recreation of the common season.
A win meant the No. 2 seed and a loss was going to maintain them at No. 3. However Tom Thibodeau’s group does not fear about who it performs subsequent week. It simply needs to beat the one in entrance of them that day.
“I believe when you’ve got opponents, it does not matter. Opponents compete,” Thibodeau mentioned.
That mentality drove Brunson to probably the greatest common seasons in franchise historical past, which he capped along with his eleventh 40-point recreation to hold the Knicks into the No. 2 seed within the Jap Convention with a 120-119 time beyond regulation victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
The Knicks completed 50-32, their greatest season since going 54-28 and in addition incomes a No. 2 seed in 2012-13. They moved previous Milwaukee after the Bucks misplaced earlier Sunday in Orlando, and can await the winner of the play-in recreation between Philadelphia and Miami on Wednesday.
“It is a purpose to be one of the best group we could be by the top of the yr, and for us now it is simply transfer on from that,” Brunson mentioned. “It is one thing to be crossed off and should get higher from right here.”
Brunson completed with 40 factors, eight rebounds and 7 assists, and tied Patrick Ewing for the second-most 40-point video games in a single season by a Knicks participant. Corridor of Famer Bernard King did it 13 occasions in 1984-85, when he set a franchise file with 32.9 factors per recreation.
Brunson completed up at 28.7, tying Carmelo Anthony for third. His 36 30-point video games tied Richie Guerin (1961-62) and Ewing (1989-90) for essentially the most in Knicks historical past.
Donte DiVincenzo added 25 factors for the Knicks whereas enjoying all however 30 seconds of the 53-minute recreation.
DeMar DeRozan scored 30 factors for the Bulls, however one of many NBA’s greatest clutch finishers missed a brief jumper with 2.8 seconds remaining in OT. Nic Vucevic added 29 factors and 11 rebounds, and Coby White scored 26 factors.
Chicago completed ninth within the East at 39-43 and can host No. 10 Atlanta on Wednesday. In the event that they win that, the Bulls should beat the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 recreation on the highway Friday to earn the No. 8 seed within the playoffs.
Regardless of having one of many solely playoff eventualities that was decided going into the ultimate day of the common season, the Bulls opted to play their wholesome gamers all through the sport, and DeRozan mentioned he was indignant about his missed shot that in the end meant nothing to his group.
“All people on the market needed to win,” DeRozan mentioned. “So I do not know, it simply felt like a kind of video games like we have been enjoying for one thing, and we’re.”
Coach Billy Donovan mentioned Ayo Dosunmu (bruised proper quadricep) and Andre Drummond (sprained left ankle) have been each nonetheless feeling ache and discomfort and was not sure if both could be prepared for Wednesday’s win-or-out recreation.
Milwaukee and Cleveland each misplaced once they had a monitor to the No. 2 seed, with a matchup in opposition to the defending East champion Warmth or a wholesome Joel Embiid and the 76ers not precisely a reward for that end.
However the Knicks performed it out and received their closing 5 video games, ending larger within the standings than once they misplaced All-Star Julius Randle for the season in January.
“You do not have to wind these guys up and that is what I really like about them,” Thibodeau mentioned. “Generally we’re not going to be good, we’ll make some errors, however they are going to compete and I believe that is vital.”
The Knicks performed the second half with out heart Mitchell Robinson, who not too long ago returned from ankle surgical procedure. Thibodeau mentioned he was instructed through the recreation that Robinson was unavailable for the second half however did not know the small print.
