The New York Knicks recorded a franchise-best 84 points in the first half of their 135-105 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. This offensive output ties a team record originally set on November 18, 1988, against the Philadelphia 76ers, though the Knicks lost that previous game.
This performance marked the Knicks' most complete showing of the season, with the 84 first-half points also being the highest total scored in any half at the current Madison Square Garden.
“I really liked how we started out,” coach Mike Brown said. “Spacing the floor well, touching the paint, and then re-spacing too. Our re-spacing was really quick and really decisive. We had some great, great looks early on. And everybody played well offensively.”
Prior to Wednesday's game, the Knicks had averaged just 51.6 points in first halves, the third-worst mark in the NBA, and shot a league-worst 39.2 percent from the field in those periods. Their strong start on Wednesday saw them shoot 62.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range in the first half, building a 32-point lead by halftime.
Jalen Brunson led the charge with 26 points in the first half, shooting efficiently from both the field and beyond the arc. OG Anunoby contributed 18 first-half points. "Obviously, making 3s, but I think making our two-pointers are really important as well," Brunson said. "... When you have it going, it feels good. Just trying to play off that and use your gravity to make plays. I feel like it really started on the defensive side of the ball, we were able to get stops and get out in transition."
The Knicks also capitalized on free throws, making 24 of their 26 attempts in the first half, with Anunoby going 11-for-12 from the line. In contrast, the Bulls managed only six first-half free throw attempts.
The significant lead allowed all five Knicks starters to rest for the entire fourth quarter, a welcome luxury given the team's discussions about physical fatigue from a short offseason.