Jalen Brunson’s minutes a concern as Knicks top Bulls in 2nd straight win after Raptors trade

Tom Thibodeau flailed his arms in frustration. Then he looked to the end of the bench and called for to re-enter the game. It was the 9:43 mark of the ’ 116-100 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, and Brunson had logged 30 minutes at by the end of the third quarter.

When he went to the bench at the top of the fourth, the Knicks held an eight-point lead. Two minutes and 17 seconds later — 2:17 of Miles “Deuce” McBride minutes at the point guard spot — New York’s lead evaporated. They trailed by just two when Thibodeau went back to his star guard.

Brunson, of course, powered the Knicks to victory as soon as he checked back in. The guard logged 40 minutes and finished with 31 points on 13-of-22 shooting to go with 13 assists. He also logged 41 minutes in Brunson is averaging 23.

5 points and 13. 5 assists in the two games since the Knicks traded Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to the His 14 assists on Monday were a career-high, and he nearly matched that mark against the Bulls. “It’s a credit to my teammates.

They’re finding a way to put the ball through the hoop,” Brunson said in his walk-off interview. “All the credit goes to them. I’m just out there running around.

” Brunson’s production is not the issue. It’s the mileage accruing on a player whose legs the Knicks need to stand the test of time. Brunson has logged 81 minutes over his last two games.

His increased load is a thorn among the roses that have come with the acquisition of Anunoby. Anunoby clearly makes the Knicks a better team. He’s a staunch defender, an efficient corner three-point shooter and has the prototypical size at the small forward position to both rebound and finish through traffic at the rim.

He is an upgrade, specifically for a team that plays through two ball-dominant stars in Brunson and Julius Randle. Randle finished with a game-high 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting. Losing Quickley, however, directly impacts Brunson, and while the Knicks gave McBride a three-year contract extension after the Quickley deal, Thibodeau’s quick hook of his third-year guard is a clear indication that New York’s current situation at the one is not sustainable.

The Timberwolves outscored the Knicks by 10 in McBride’s seven minutes on Monday. On Wednesday, the Bulls outscored the Knicks by 15 in McBride’s nine minutes of play. And while playing Brunson heavy minutes is a recipe for success at this juncture of the season, it’s clear this can’t be the formula if the organization wants him at full strength when the games matter in April and May.

is another reserve guard the Knicks acquired in the Anunoby deal, but he has not yet been cleared to play while nursing an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Quickley scored 21 points through three quarters for the Raptors and finished with 26 in a six-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Knicks need to replace Quickley’s production and presence as a backup point guard option, but if that option is not on the roster, they will need to strike a deal, be it via free agency or trade.

.