25-26 Knicks Almost Falter 20-Point Lead to the Grizzlies
The New York Knicks looked to make a statement after getting blown out by the Houston Rockets and losing three straight games. They went into Memphis and had one goal in mind, and that was to dominate. New York scored 48 in the first quarter and had 79 by halftime, which ties for the most points in franchise history going into the half. The Knicks almost faltered the 20+ point lead they had late in the third quarter, but were able to keep the lead and finish out the game with a 130-119 victory. At this time, they hold the third seed firmly, remaining a game and a half above the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’ll look to take the next game at home against the Chicago Bulls to preserve their rights to the third seed in the East.
Knicks Cannot Blow Any Leads Anymore
Throughout the first half, the Knicks looked incredible, even without their star player, Jalen Brunson, in the rotation. They also didn’t have Mitchell Robinson or Miles McBride, who, after his hernia surgery, has had a concerning performance. The team was being facilitated by Jose Alvarado, who showed his grit, toughness, and readiness to help New York succeed in the playoffs. However, this team needs to play great in all four quarters if they want to win out the rest of the season and be a force in the NBA Playoffs. They cannot afford to blow any more leads, especially when they looked like one of the best versions of themselves all season long. When playing these tougher teams, if New York falters with a lead, it’s going to come back to haunt them.
Towns Should Be the Option with No Brunson
With Brunson out of the matchup against the Grizzlies with a sore ankle, Karl-Anthony Towns stepped up in a big way, delivering a 20-point triple-double. Even though he had seven turnovers, Memphis saw how much of an impact Towns was having throughout the 48 minutes of the game. While turnovers got the Grizzlies back in the game, overall, it was the six-time all-star’s effort on the boards and being a key scoring option that allowed the Knicks to walk away with the win. He must be the option when Brunson is either not playing or not on the court in general. His impact could be huge if he delivers in those high-quality moments and doesn’t have an issue with the fouls.
