The New York Knicks’ rut seems to not have an end in sight. On Saturday, they had chances to pull away despite being shorthanded, but applied more self-inflicted wounds to themselves to fall short against the Phoenix Suns 99-106. They have now lost eight of their last 10 games.
Fouls and lack of defense killed the Knicks down the stretch
The Knicks had tied the game at 85 early in the fourth quarter, with the momentum on their side. Unfortunately, they had no offensive creativity and played poor perimeter defense in the final eight minutes of the game, sinking their chances of pulling out a win.
The Suns outscored New York by 15 after the first quarter, and New York saw multiple double-digit leads get away from them. The Suns didn’t have the best scoring nights from their top guns, but guys like Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen made the plays necessary to get the win.
The Suns actually shot just 7-for-20 in the fourth quarter, but New York committed seven personal fouls and couldn’t make it up with their offense, going just 1-for-11 from three in the fourth. They had opportunities to come out on top, but they just couldn’t make the plays necessary to win.
The Knicks’ bench provided virtually nothing
The Knicks’ bench was a disaster on Saturday, granted it was different with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart both sitting out of this game. The bench scored just 14 points all night, with nobody in the second unit being able to provide a spark.
Jordan Clarkson struggled badly once again, going just 2-for-8 from the field and scoring only six points in 22 minutes. Tyler Kolek was a team-low -17, and he finished with only two points and three turnovers.
The supporting cast has just not come through for this team over the past month, and it’s sparking some entertaining conversations with the trade deadline nearing. They may need an overhaul of the bench to supply them with proper depth.
Miles McBride and OG Anunoby did all they could for the Knicks
For the second straight game, Miles McBride and OG Anunoby were the ones providing the lift for this team. Both players were exceptional on both ends and did all they could for a laboring Knicks squad.
McBride tied for the team lead in points with Karl-Anthony Towns with 23 points on the night. He also made five threes and recorded two steals, and was a +6 on the night, the only starter with a positive plus-minus (minimum 20 minutes played).
Anunoby had another strong game scoring with 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He also recorded three steals and helped make the defense look solid in some stretches of the game. Unfortunately, neither of their efforts could lift the team to victory.
Overview
The Knicks are approaching dangerous territory as the gap between them and the top seed in the East is growing further. They desperately need to start a winning streak on Monday, when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.