Jalen Brunson has done nothing but change the New York Knicks' fortunes for the better ever since he signed with the team in free agency three years ago. The Knicks have made it to the postseason for three consecutive seasons, with Brunson being the team's undisputed best player, and they are poised for another strong season especially considering how weakened the Eastern Conference is.
While they haven't gotten off to the best of starts in the 2025-26 campaign, Sunday night may be a sign of better things to come for the Knicks. They took a 128-116 win over the Chicago Bulls, handing the Bulls their first loss of the new campaign, and it was Brunson who set the pace for the team in scoring — putting up 31 points on 10-22 shooting from the field and 4-11 from beyond the arc.
In so doing, Brunson crossed the 9,000-point mark for his career, which is a rather impressive feat especially for someone taken in the second round. It also took Brunson some time before he emerged as a starter in the NBA, but now, he's become one of the biggest stars in the association on one of the most famous teams in the league.
Brunson entered the night just 23 points shy of the 9,000-point club. His 31-point night now gives him 9,008 points for his career. Of those 9,008 points, 5,722 have come with the Knicks even though he's played 61 more games in a Dallas Mavericks uniform for his career to this point.
His development into a legitimate superstar was not guaranteed even though he was coming off a brilliant 2021-22 campaign with the Mavericks. But the Knicks' faith in Brunson paid off and continues to do so in a big way. He's under contract until at least the 2027-28 campaign, giving New York plenty of security in that regard.
Jalen Brunson, Knicks look to overcome slow start to the 2025-26 campaign
The Knicks decided to make a major change prior to the start of the 2025-26 season, replacing head coach Tom Thibodeau, who's been at the helm since the 2020-21 season, with Mike Brown. There were bound to be some growing pains for a Knicks team that's become accustomed to playing a certain way, and this has resulted in a slow start to the new campaign.
They entered their Sunday night clash against the Bulls having lost three games in a row. But they did rectify that on Sunday, and they will look to keep the winning going on Monday when they face the Washington Wizards on the second of a back-to-back.
