The court was snazzy tonight, as MSG unveiled its City Edition floor. Fitting that it was inspired by the era of Michael Ray Richardson, who passed today. R.I.P., Sugar Ray.
As for the basketball played tonight, the New York Knicks (7-3) cruised through the first three quarters versus the Memphis Grizzlies (4-8). Then, they lost their long-range touch, and without Mitchell Robinson there to rebound, the endless one-and-dones let the Grizz cut their deficit to 10. The good news: Memphis was realllly generous with turnovers (I lost count at 22); Ja Morant alone nearly had a points-assists-turnovers triple-double. With the starters in until the end, the Knicks hurled a franchise-record 55 three-point attempts and set a franchise record of three straight 130+ point games. Final score, 133-120.
The visiting Grizz made five of their first six shots for a brief lead, but that glimmer was fool’s gold. After knotting the game at 11 apiece, the Knicks rocketed ahead and never looked back. Jalen Brunson dictated their rhythm, and Karl-Anthony Towns’ presence inside was unmatched by Memphis (for awhile, at least). Crisp passing, hot shooting, and defensive pressure on Ja fueled a 12-0 run to close the first quarter up 42-30.
New York controlled the second period, too, stretching the lead to 77–54 by halftime. Towns, Brunson, and Hart brought a ton of energy; Mikal Bridges added key steals and finishes; and OG Anunoby was +22 by intermission.
Through two quarters, our heroes shot nearly 55% from the field and 39% from three, ruled the glass, and turned 12 Memphis turnovers into 19 points. When the Knicks are producing this effortlessly, one wonders: how many Coach-of-the-Year trophies does Mike Brown have on his shelf? (Answer: two and counting.)
In the third quarter, a late 10-0 run by Memphis cut the difference to 18, but the Grizzlies’ gains were quickly erased by yet more three-pointers. Heading into the fourth, the home team was up 114-93.
Ruh-roh, Shaggy. The Bears mounted a 21-10 run to start the final frame. Midway through the quarter, with the Grizzlies edging them out on the glass, New York’s lead had diminished to 10. So much for resting the starters early to prepare for the incoming Orlando. Most of the first five played til the end to secure the win, and so they did. The home team finished with two double-doubles (Brunson with 32 points, 10 dimes; KAT with 21 points, 13 boards) and made 40% of all those three-pointers they tried.
Professor is applying electricity to your recap in the lab. Meanwhile, the Knicks host the Magic tomorrow. Rest up, Knickerbockers.
