Knicks Top Blazers to Secure .500 Record
An impressive 107–103 win against a solid Portland team pushes New York’s record to 7–7 (throw a parade, de Blasio!)
The Knicks have won four out of their last five games. The most recent all of came Tuesday night against a Blazers team that has looked less impressive than last season but still a solid team nonetheless.
New York was led by Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 31 points, his second 30 point scoring effort ever, both of which coming in the last week.
Porzingis, in addition to Carmelo Anthony, was an animal in the first half, scoring 17 points on 12 shots and pulling down six rebounds. Anthony added 13 points of his own. The production from the two frontmen, accompanied by eight points from Derrick Rose and a stellar 52 percent team field-goal percentage gave the Knicks a 60–58 lead heading into the half.
Both teams slowed down after the break, and Anthony got ice cold, only making 2-of-9 shot attempts in the third quarter. Porzingis’ continued steady production, five points on 2-for-3 shooting, combined with six points from Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Willy Hernangómez, and five forced turnovers kept the Knicks in the game, and the two teams entered the final period tied at 81.
Carmelo’s shot continued to fall flat in the fourth quarter, going 0-of-3, but Porzingis carried the team through the first six minutes until he too fell silent, not scoring a point for the final six minutes of the game.
Who was the savior that led the Knicks to this nail-biting victory over arguably one of the best backcourts in the NBA?
Kuzminskas, duh. No, seriously.
The biggest bucket in the entire game came at the 2:36 mark when Kuzminskas took a pass from Rose and buried a three from the top of the key to push the score to 105–101.
If that wasn’t the biggest shot of the game, then Rose’s 15 foot step back dagger with six seconds remaining was.
The Knicks looked just fine without their $72 million man Joakim Noah on the court, or even dressed in a Knicks jersey. This was a statement win for a streaking New York team. A franchise that has historically gotten absolutely obliterated by strong guards toppled one of the best guard combos in the league today. It is early. I am overexcited. But I can confidently say things are looking up.
— Bailey Carlin, site writer
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