Brunson drops 47; Bulls edge Hawks

NEW YORK (AFP) — Jalen Brunson scored a season-high 47 points as the New York Knicks toppled the Miami Heat, 132-125, in the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season on Sunday.

Star point guard Brunson also managed eight assists and three rebounds, in his highest-scoring performance ever at the Knicks’ Madison Square Garden home.

The in-form New York team’s eighth win in nine games improves their record to 20-8 in the Eastern Conference, where they sit second behind the Detroit Pistons.

That hot streak includes the Knicks’ NBA Cup final victory last week, which ended their 52-year trophy drought.

Kel’el Ware top scored for Miami, with 28 points as well as 19 rebounds. The Heat have now lost seven of their last eight and fall to 15-14.

Elsewhere, the Chicago Bulls edged the highest-scoring game of the NBA season so far, holding off a late rally in a tight clash against the Atlanta Hawks to prevail 152-150.

Jalen Johnson’s 36 points, and another 35 from Trae Young, were not enough to stop the rampant Bulls, who were led by 28 points from Matas Buzelis.

And the San Antonio Spurs defeated the lowly Washington Wizards, 124-113.

French superstar Victor Wembanyama managed 14 points and 12 rebounds from the bench, with his court time still being managed as he returns from injury.

Bub Carrington scored 21 points for the Wizards, who rested starters Alex Sarr (adductor) and Khris Middleton (knee) after they both played in Saturday’s 130-122 win at Memphis.

Tre Johnson scored 19 points and Tristan Vukcevic had 18 for Washington, which returned from a three-game road trip with two wins but has lost four straight at home.

Wembanyama has played fewer than 25 minutes in all five games since his return. He reached nearly 15 by halftime on Sunday and combined with Fox and Castle for 30 points as San Antonio outscored Washington 43-21 in the second quarter en route to a 20-point halftime lead.

Washington never got closer than nine afterward, allowing Spurs coach Mitch Johnson to sit Wembanyama for all but 40 seconds of the fourth quarter.