Rather in good shape since the beginning of their “road-trip” in the West, since they have won two of their three games so far (victories with the Jazz and the Nuggets, loss with the Warriors), the Knicks chained on the floor of another large piece of the opposite conference, the Suns.
Still deprived of Chris Paul, the teammates of a grandiose Devin Booker during his team’s last outing (49 points in the loss to the Jazz), were looking for a victory to find a good momentum collective, as they have lost three of their last four games.
Mission accomplished for Monty Williams and his men, easy winners of the Knicks (116-95), who will have done well in the first half before their defense was cracked on all sides on the return from the locker room (from +2 at mid -time at +15 after three quarters), but especially behind the arc (17 award-winning shots from the Suns). This had the effect of transforming the fourth quarter into a long, indigestible “garbage-time” for fans of the New York franchise.
With this victory, the Suns are full of confidence and find a good rhythm, before challenging the Lakers at the next deadline.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Mitchell Robinson has made his comeback. Absent for eight games due to right knee pain, the Knicks pivot returned to business, off the bench. In 17 minutes, logically lacking sensations and physical condition, he compiled 2 points, 2 blocks and 4 rebounds.
– Ten minutes was enough for the Suns to accelerate. In front of the score of only 2 points at halftime (55-53), after a successful first period but which gave a glimpse of a margin of progress, the Suns actually only needed a big ten minutes, in the third quarter, to fly away. A few possessions after returning from the locker room, the locals thus stepped on the accelerator in attack with a 35-22 inflicted on the Knicks, 52% on shots. Passing their gap from 2 to 15 points in 12 minutes, they killed this game at this time, and were able to enjoy a quiet last quarter: the gap rose to 26 points!
– Quentin Grimes’ reference match. In the collective doldrums, the young rear of the Knicks was one of the (very) rare satisfactions. Holder since Cam Reddish was injured in the last game against the Warriors, the former Houston University gave a smile to the fans of the club with a complete performance: 10 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. We especially remember his enormous defensive activity on the half-field, which particularly hampered Devin Booker in the first half. While Evan Fournier is slowly but surely heading towards a total disappearance of the Knicks’ rotation, Quentin Grimes has a boulevard on position 2, in the Knicks’ major five…
TOPS & FLOPS
✅ Jalen Brunson. The lighthouse in the storm. This is how to summarize the performance of the leader of the Knicks, alone to float, while most of his teammates missed each other in the large widths. The former Villanova compiled 27 points (11/21), 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and the addition would clearly have been much saltier without him.
✅ The Suns’ major five. None of the five Suns starters finished with a +/- negative: the sign, in principle, of a team that did a damn good job of its game. The five players scored 81 of their team’s 116 points, and we note in particular the very good game of Cameron Payne, able to hold the lead while waiting for the return of Chris Paul: 21 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. The winger duo Mikal Bridges – Torrey Craig brought their volume of play (), when Deandre Ayton went there with his double-double (27 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists to two). The most discreet, finally, was Devin Booker, author of 20 points on 17 shots, but also 5 rebounds and 3 assists for a +13 +/-.
✅ Damion Lee. Stephen Curry’s brother-in-law paid homage to family tradition off the bench, with 4 award-winning shots scored in the Knicks defense. Overall, 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and third best +/- (+14) on his team. A good evening for the former Warrior!
⛔️ RJ Barrett. Inconstant and ineffective in attack since the start of the season (39.5% on shots), the Canadian has once again failed to set the sights. In 27 “small” minutes (compared to his 34 minutes on average this season), he brings only 12 points (on 11 shots) and 4 rebounds. And the worst +/- of the whole meeting, both sides combined, with -24…
THE FOLLOWING
– Suns (10-6) : reception of the Lakers, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday (04:00)
– Knicks (8-9) : “back-to-back” in Oklahoma City (02:00)
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