This game was never close. The New York Knicks opened their game against the Utah Jazz on Friday with a 23-0 run, and they never looked back, destroying the Jazz 146-112 to improve to 15-7 on the season.
Additionally, New York is now 12-1 at home this season, their best start to a season at home since the 1992-93 season.
The entire Knicks’ offense was clicking from the jump
Rather than one player dominating the competition, every Knicks player who played did something beneficial for them. As a team, they shot 56% from the field and 50% from three, just overpowering them offensively.
Miles McBride is in the midst of a breakout season, and he continued his hot shooting stretch. With OG Anunoby back in the lineup for the first time in three weeks, McBride was moved back to the bench, but he did not disappoint. He scored 16 points and knocked down five threes in the first half, en route to a 22-point showing overall with seven three-pointers made.
Karl-Anthony Towns has slowly started to find his three-point shot again, which is a massive development for the Knicks. He finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and knocked down four threes on six attempts.
Jalen Brunson turned in a great effort with 33 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field and 6-for-9 from three. There were very few negatives to take away from their offensive performance as a team, as they executed an onslaught shooting the ball, and it was never close.
OG Anunoby was solid in his return
As previously mentioned, Anunoby made his return in this game after missing the previous nine games with a hamstring strain. Despite being on a minutes limit, he didn’t appear to miss a beat and brought an immediate impact.
He finished with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the floor. He made his presence felt defensively and helped contribute to their hot start. The Knicks held the Jazz to just 13 first quarter points to their 41, which is the largest lead by a team after the first quarter in NBA history (tracking began in the 1996-97 season).
The Knicks stayed afloat in Anunoby’s absence, going 6-3 while he was out. Despite that, they are more than happy to have him back on the floor, as he brings the intensity and physicality on both ends that make them a much stronger team.
Knicks continue to dominate at home
Madison Square Garden is becoming a house of horrors for its opponents. As previously mentioned, they are now 12-1 at home this season, the best start at home in over 32 years.
Furthermore, they have the most home victories in the league this season. The Knicks have a true home court advantage that is going to be huge for them in the postseason.
The only thing they need to work on is their road woes. They have struggled on the road this year with just a 3-6 record, but the hope is that they will eventually turn the corner on those issues and become a dominant team, no matter what arena they are playing in.
Overview
The Knicks continue to crush their opponents at home, and they have to feel really good about where they are at to start the season. They’ll look for their 13th home win on Sunday in an afternoon matinee against the Orlando Magic.