Knicks rout the Bulls 135-105 after tying their record for points in a half

The Knicks ran the Bulls out of Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. New York won 135-105 behind 33 points from Jalen Brunson, and it was over by halftime.

Chicago led 6-4. Then the Knicks went on an 8-0 run and never trailed again. Brunson had 22 points in the first quarter on 8-of-10 shooting, including 4 of 5 from 3, and New York led 43-21 after one.

The Knicks scored 41 more in the second quarter. It was the first time they scored 40 or more in each of the first two quarters of a game, and the 84-52 halftime score tied the franchise record for points in a half, set Nov. 18, 1988, in a 137-135 loss at Philadelphia. The lead hit 44 at 111-67 on a Miles McBride four-point play late in the third.

The numbers

1. Jalen Brunson: 33 points on 10-of-17 shooting in 28 minutes, plus-33.
2. OG Anunoby: 18 points, 11 of 12 at the line, 3 steals.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns: 17 points and 12 rebounds on 5-of-5 shooting.
4. Dalton Knecht: 10 points in his Knicks debut.
5. Tre Jones led Chicago with 14. Matas Buzelis and Norman Powell scored 12 each, and Powell finished minus-34.

The take

New York started 0-3 and has won four of five since to get back to 4-4. Wednesday was the second time it beat Chicago this season, after a 133-127 win on Oct. 28. Towns didn't miss a field goal. Brunson needed one quarter to put the game away.

The Bulls are 1-7, they've lost six in a row, and every team they've played has scored at least 124. Caleb Wilson went 2 of 12. Chicago's defense has no answer yet, and the schedule doesn't get easier: the Bulls host first-place Philadelphia on Sunday. The Knicks visit Cleveland on Saturday.