For those who still doubt it, the Knicks, with or without Jalen Brunson, are not the same team. New illustration this night on the Kings floor where the leader of the Knicks scored 42 points to lead his team to victory in the heart of a meeting that was anything but focused on attack.
It only took a few minutes of play to understand that this match was going to be decided on physical commitment, hardness and intensity, rather than on the skill of the two teams. Isaiah Hartenstein was one of the first to stand out in these registers by rejecting Keegan Murray's dunk attempt, then putting Domantas Sabonis on the ground, playing the ball, without being sanctioned by the referees.
The inside was one of the many soldiers who put himself at the service of the offensive leader of the team, the only one, among all the protagonists on the floor, who felt really comfortable scoring. Fortunately for the Knicks, narrowly leading at the break (48-53), because OG Anunoby, Josh Hart or Bojan Bogdanovic were all struggling to punish. And what about the camp opposite, limited to only 35% success on the evening, like a De'Aaron Fox lacking in skill almost everywhere and who didn't really have knew how to generate the usual rhythm for his team.
Trailing by a small point at the start of the last quarter (74-75), the locals would have had the opportunity to win the match in the final minutes. As long as you don't miss the target and don't start the period with a terrible 2/17 on shots… Jalen Brunson didn't need to be asked with a new 3-point basket in the final moments. Despite the small gap, the Knicks won without fear.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Jalen Brunson in Knicks history. Author of 45 points Thursday against the Blazers, the New York leader continued with his 7th game of the year with 40 points or more. Above all, it was the second meeting in a row to pass this bar, which makes him the 4th player in the franchise to do so. The last person to reach 40 points in two games in a row was Carmelo Anthony in February 2014. Before them, there were Hall of Famers Bernard King and Patrick Ewing. “ I don't have these guys' resumes, so that means a lot. But I'm happy we found a way to win “, he reacted.
– Without victory at 100 points. A very offensive formation, the Kings have for example won 20 of their 22 matches when they exceed the 125 points scored this season. On the other hand, when the Californians do not reach the 100 point mark, they… never win. After last night's game, their second-lowest offensive performance of the year, the Kings are down to eight losses in as many games. The Knicks, for their part, are five games in a row limiting their opponents below the 100 point mark. Impressive.
– New zero points for Kevin Huerter… The Kings shooter's difficult season continues. Symbol of another difficult evening, this ball which he inherited very early in the match, in transition and in the corner. The Californian full-back, who had missed the previous match due to leg discomfort, benefited from long seconds without opposition before sending and missing the target, much too short and without rhythm. He will miss his two other shot attempts. To see if Mike Brown is not tempted to bring him out of his bench, like earlier in the season, while Keon Ellis showed good things as a starter by replacing Keegan Murray.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
