BOSTON — History will have to wait.
Jalen Brunson finished with 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting from the field in the Knicks’ 118-109 road victory over the Celtics on Thursday.
He fell one point — one missed free throw — shy of a chance to tie a longstanding Knicks record.
Brunson recorded his 10th 40-point game of the season in a 43-point performance against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.
Knicks legend Bernard King holds the record with 13 40-balls posted in the 1984-85 season.
Brunson posted 38 points through three quarters and went to the line in the final seconds of the third period with a chance to record 40-point game No. 11.
With two more games left on the schedule, and with Brunson emerging as an unstoppable offensive option for the Knicks in the second half of the season, tying Kings’ record was in play if he made both free throws.
Brunson, however, missed the first free throw before making the second, a foul shot putting the Knicks up a calm 31 points entering the fourth quarter.
After the first miss, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla emptied his bench.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau put Brunson on the bench at the top of the fourth quarter — his normal rotation minutes — and never went back to the All-Star guard, even though the Celtics went on a furious run late in the final period.
Brunson can still catch Patrick Ewing, who ranks second in franchise history with 11 40-point games in the 1989-90 season.
But if he’s going to tie King or leave his own, uncontested mark in franchise history, Brunson will have to try again next season.
