Jalen Brunson had some playful shade for his New York Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns ahead of the All-Star Game in San Francisco.
In the new format, Brunson and Towns are on separate teams. Brunson is playing for Kenny Smith’s squad, while Towns is a part of Charles Barkley’s team. Brunson was asked about playing against his teammate and said he’s looking forward to it.
“We are actually not friends at all,” Brunson said with a smile, “so competing against him is going to be fun.”
Brunson is averaging 26.1 points and 7.5 assists per game. He’s shooting 49.2% from the field. Towns has thrived in New York, he’s putting up 24.7 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.
Towns’ team got the best of Brunson and Team Kenny in the opening round, winning 41-32. Brunson posted three points and three assists, while Towns logged six points and three rebounds.
Brunson, Towns Powering Knicks
It was clearly a joke from Brunson ahead of the all-star festivities. The Knicks are a tight-knit squad, posting a 36-18 record — good for third in the Eastern Conference. Towns and Mikal Bridges were big offseason additions for the Knicks.
“It’s been fun. It’s been a steady process throughout every game,” Brunson said. “It’s been fun to go through this journey with the guys we have. I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”
Towns, who made his fifth All-Star Game appearance, credited Brunson as the team’s engine.
“The guy who makes it all happen is Cap,” Towns said of Brunson. “Huge honor for both of us to be part of one of the best organizations in the world and represent as starters. Means a lot to us”
Knicks Have More Work to Do After Strong Start
The Knicks have established themselves as contenders in the East. However, Brunson and Co. understand they still have a long way to go.
“We’ve done good thus far, but we have a long way to go,” Brunson said. “I’m excited to get down the stretch, man. It’s going to be fun.
“We haven’t really accomplished anything. We have a long way to go to get to where we want to go. It’s all about just taking one day at a time. Right now, it’s just to rest and recharge and come back ready to go.”
Towns has also been pleased with the team’s positive momentum. But he pointed to the defensive end as a spot where they can improve.
“I think offensively, we’re doing great. Defensively, we got things to work on,” All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Consistency, discipline, but I think these are all things that I think, as y’all in the media could see, that’s from Game 1 to now, it’s we’re a much better version of ourselves. I’ve always talked about with y’all since Day 1, about what the 1 percent — finding ourselves getting 1 percent better every night. And I think this team has grown.
The Knicks are +1,300 to win the title, behind only the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder. New York has not won a championship since 1973.
