Jalen Brunson’s struggles, defensive miscues lead to Hawks eliminating Knicks from NBA Cup

NEW YORK — This is the kind of game you pay close attention to: an elimination game with raised NBA Cup stakes. A win-or-go-home opportunity for the Knicks not only to earn some bonus cash, but win the In-Season Tournament in the second season of its inception. A shot to do something the team hasn’t done since 1973: hang a banner from the Madison Square Garden rafters.

None of those things will happen — and after the Knicks coughed up a 12-point lead to lose to the Atlanta Hawks 108-100 at home on Wednesday, it’s clear there remains much more work to be done if this team is going to have a shot at winning a real championship.

Brunson's struggles

The matchup was never between the pair of All-Star guards, Jalen Brunson and Trae Young. Rarely if ever do the pair defend each other. The real matchup was between Brunson and Hawks defensive stopper Dyson Daniels.

Daniels got the better of Brunson in the first matchup between the two teams this season — a Hawks win — holding the All-Star guard to just 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field. He one-upped himself on Wednesday, holding Brunson to just 14 points on a miserable 5-of-15 shooting night from the field.

How Brunson navigates physical, stingy opposing defenses this season will be critical in the Knicks’ pursuit of an elusive NBA title. He is one of the highest-IQ basketball players the NBA features at the point guard position, but listed at 6-1, opposing defenses use size and physicality to throw him out of a scoring rhythm.

It worked on Wednesday, and despite Brunson’s eight assists, the Knicks go as their leader goes, and against the Hawks, they went down.

Daniels won the matchup, finishing with nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks — plus lockdown defense on the Knicks’ star guard.

Knicks defensive struggles

The Knicks’ pursuit of an NBA title will also be dependent on their ability to defend the point of attack.

That responsibility has largely fallen on Mikal Bridges, the player the front office traded five first-round draft picks plus a pick swap to the Nets to acquire during the offseason.

Bridges has struggled in this role, and his woes continued on Wednesday even though Young finished with just 22 points on 22 shot attempts with 11 assists on the night. Young easily blew by Bridges with regularity and forced his way into the paint, where he sprayed the ball out to a host of Hawks’ three-point shooters.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau touched on his impact ahead of tipoff.

“[We need to be] disciplined because he’s clever. He’s shifty. Can shoot it deep,” he said. “Can get to the middle of the floor. Great vision, play-making ability. What it leads to — even if you’re — you’re concerned obviously pocket three is a big thing. Then when he gets into the paint, he gets it up on the board, the offensive rebounding. There’s a lot to it. Great pick and roll player, can put pressure on the rim. So we have to have an awareness of ball, paint, react out, cover the line. You get pulled off a body, the ball goes up on the board, the offensive rebound is a big concern as well.”

Bridges finished with 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, but his biggest impact will be the ability to thrive in his role as a perimeter defensive stopper.

Knicks still miss Mitchell Robinson

Thibodeau was right about the offensive rebounding. It’s one of the biggest areas the Knicks miss Mitchell Robinson, who remains sidelined recovering from ankle surgery.

Atlanta only made nine of their 31 threes on the night, but the misses created second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass: The Hawks out-rebounded the Knicks, 58-49, and 22 offensive rebounds to just 12 from the Knicks.

Three Hawks players logged double-digit rebounds, including Jalen Johnson, who finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, and Onyeka Okongwu, who grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench.

“I think the versatility, the length, and [Johnson] and [Deandre] Hunter are very similar, and that’s one of the things as they’ve gotten healthier: their bench, it’s basically starters that are coming off the bench. And so we have to be prepared for that,” said Thibodeau. “Johnson has really developed, he does everything the length, and Hunter the same thing. The ability to put it on the floor, shoot the three, move without the ball, run the floor, their athleticism, and then [Zaccharie] Risacher, same thing, he made threes against us in that first game. but he’s another long wing. And I think Daniels has been a really good fit for them, as well.”

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 19 points, 19 rebounds and five assists, and Josh Hart logged eight rebounds, but the Hawks’ size advantage on the wing was apparent.

Next up

With a trip to Las Vegas now out of the question, the Knicks will have three days to review film and gather themselves before Sunday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic. After that, they will travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves, another game where emotions are sure to run high, and the Knicks will be tested under pressure.

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