Jalen Brunson opened the fourth quarter on the bench on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons. With the New York Knicks captain taking a breather, teammate Karl-Anthony Towns tried to keep the home team afloat. With the Knicks trailing 94-81, Towns refused a Josh Hart screen to drive to the rim against Paul Reed.
Detroit’s 6-foot-9 backup big man rejected Towns at the rim, prompting Brunson to turn his eyes downward and scratch his head in disappointment.
Fans reacted to the viral sequence. One fan wrote:
“KAT needs to be traded, and Knicks need to give Jalen a max.”
Another fan added:
“JB: We traded Julius (Randle) and my brethren for this?!!”
One more fan continued:
“Soft as toilet paper soaking under s**t. Weakest 7 footer in NBA History.”
Another fan commented:
“Bro said ‘Not again’ with his eyes.”
One fan tweeted:
“Bro was disgusted.”
Knicks fans have been frustrated with Karl-Anthony Towns multiple times this season. After averaging 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season, KAT is putting up 19.8 ppg, 11.9 rpg and 2.9 apg. Towns’ efficiency has dropped from 52.6%, including 42.0% from deep, to 46.6%, including 35.1% this season.
Paul Reed’s block ignited an 8-2 run by the Pistons, forcing Knicks coach Mike Brown to put Jalen Brunson back into the game. New York tried to rally for a win, but Detroit made decisive plays on both ends to walk away with a 126-111 win.
Pistons Dominate Jalen Brunson’s Knicks Even Without Two Key Big Men
The Detroit Pistons were again without All-Star center Jalen Duren and key big man Isaiah Stewart, who are both serving suspensions. As he has done a few times already, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff turned to undersized backup center Paul Reed to anchor the team.
For the second straight game as a starter, Reed impressed, contributing 18 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. He more than held his own against Karl-Anthony Towns.
Cade Cunningham also outdueled Jalen Brunson in another sizzling matchup between two All-Star point guards. Cunningham tallied 42 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and two blocks. Brunson led the Knicks with 33 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Detroit has now beaten New York by double-digit margins in three straight games.
Jalen Brunson could not hide his disappointment during a decisive play in the fourth quarter that could have helped the Knicks turn the game around.
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