The New York Knicks were unable to pull out a win without Jalen Brunson on Thursday, and their losing stretch continues to pile on. They blew a 17-point lead to the Golden State Warriors and lost by 13, with the final score being 113-126.
The Knicks’ defense was disastrous yet again
Defense continues to haunt the Knicks, and there have been no signs of it improving anytime soon. Against the Warriors, lackadaisical defense around the perimeter allowed Golden State to not only climb back from a big deficit, but build a big lead of their own.
The Warriors scored 99 points in the first three quarters combined, and they couldn’t miss from three. Overall, the Warriors were 20-for-45 from three-point range, and shot over 53% from the field.
The only team other than the Knicks with a worse defensive rating this month is the Utah Jazz. Their defense is simply not good enough, and it hasn’t been all season. If it doesn’t change soon, they will continue to have a hard time pulling out wins.
Karl-Anthony Towns found himself in foul trouble again
On a day the Knicks couldn’t afford to have Karl-Anthony Towns be off the court for long stretches, he found himself in foul trouble early in the fourth quarter. The Warriors took advantage and maintained their lead, preventing the Knicks from making a comeback.
Towns had a solid overall performance with 17 points and 20 rebounds, and he knocked down two threes. However, fouls have continued to haunt him at key times, and his two personal fouls in the fourth forced him off the floor as the Knicks were attempting a comeback.
Towns leads the league in offensive fouls with 36 this season. Some of it is attributed to his bad history with the officials, but oftentimes, it is a reminder of his lack of discipline to stay out of foul trouble.
Miles McBride and OG Anunoby chipped in strong outings
Despite the loss, Miles McBride and OG Anunoby both put together great offensive performances against Golden State.
McBride got the start in place of Brunson and delivered big time, scoring 25 points and knocking down six three-pointers. He also dished out six assists with the start at point guard, putting on a great display on that end.
Anunoby also scored 25 points, doing most of his dirty work in the paint. He shot 10-for-20 from the field and also grabbed four rebounds.
Unfortunately, the rest of the team couldn’t back up their performances. They only scored 20 bench points as a team, with Jordan Clarkson contributing 11 of those. Landry Shamet scored six points in his first game in two months after returning from a shoulder injury.
Overview
The Knicks’ season is approaching its rock bottom, despite them still being a high seed in the East. They need to turn the tide fast, and they’ll be up for the challenge on Saturday when they head back home to face the Phoenix Suns.