Jalen Brunson scored 33 points, including a 3-pointer that capped New York’s opening 23-point run, as the Knicks dominated the Utah Jazz 146-112 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks’ fast start marked the largest opening run in the NBA since play-by-play tracking began in 1997.
Miles McBride added 22 points, making seven of 10 from 3-point range, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18 points and nine rebounds in New York’s highest-scoring game of the season. The Knicks didn’t allow Utah to score until more than halfway through the first quarter, quickly taking control of the contest.
OG Anunoby returned from a nine-game absence due to a left hamstring injury, playing 22 minutes and scoring 11 points. Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 16 points, but Utah never recovered from New York’s early onslaught, trailing by as many as 41 points.
Utah’s Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George each scored 18 points, while Deni Avdija contributed 13. The Jazz fell to 8-14 after a win over Brooklyn on Thursday, failing to string together consecutive victories.
The Knicks set the tone early, with Brunson’s 3-pointer making it 23-0 with 5:53 left in the first quarter, while the Jazz missed their first 12 shots. New York led 41-13 after the opening period, the largest first-quarter margin in the play-by-play era.
New York maintained efficiency throughout, shooting 56% from the field, 50% from three, and 88% from the free-throw line. The team’s balanced attack featured contributions from Josh Hart (8 points), Mikal Bridges (10), and McBride’s sharpshooting from beyond the arc.
Utah struggled defensively, giving up 146 points and allowing the Knicks to control both tempo and spacing. The Jazz’s reliance on Markkanen, George, and Avdija for scoring highlighted a lack of depth, especially against a team firing on all cylinders.
The Knicks host Orlando on Sunday, looking to extend their winning momentum, while the Jazz return home to face Oklahoma City in search of a rebound victory.
