New York Knicks Thrash San Antonio Spurs In 114-89 Win At Madison Square Garden
In a game between two top-tier teams in the NBA this season, the New York Knicks got the better of the San Antonio Spurs and then some, as the Knicks snapped the Spurs’ 11-game win streak in Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Knicks Gain Control and Cruise To the Win
One big scoring run can sometimes be the difference between a loss and a win, and the Knicks’ offensive surge in the first quarter served as the catalyst for their win today. New York went on a 26-2 scoring run that stretched from the end of the opening quarter into the start of the 2nd quarter, and would not relinquish control of the lead for the rest of the game. That monster scoring run, combined with the Knicks knocking down 17 threes, was the biggest factor in the win for New York.
While the offense didn’t exactly have a super-efficient outing, as the Knicks only shot 45% from the field in the game, New York got ample scoring from almost every player in the game. The Knicks would see six players score in double figures for the game, with all starters scoring over 10 points in the win. The three-point shot was able dropping for the majority of those players, too, as 4 out of 6 of those players would hit at least 2 triples today.
The two biggest contributors on offense were Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, who both led the way in scoring for the Knicks in the game. Brunson had 24 points and dropped 7 assists, while Bridges sank 5 threes and finished with a team-high 25 points in the win. Bridges was also excellent on the defensive side of the ball to boot, as he would nab 5 steals to help shut down the Spurs’ scorching hot offense.
Spurs Offense and Defense Not In Sync
After being a terror on both ends of the floor over their 11-game winning streak, the Spurs’ defense and offense fell flat. San Antonio shot just 41% from the field and 26% from three. That 26% shooting from beyond the arc marked the worst three-point shooting performance from the Spurs in over a month, who currently rank in the top 5 in three-point shooting in the league this season.
It was a tough game for even the best players on the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, who both played well below their standards today. Wembanyama would score 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor, and Fox finished with 7 points on 3-of-10 shooting in the loss. Both players would also combine to shoot 2 for 13 from the three-point line, a dreadful showing from two solid three-point shooters.
The two biggest areas outside of shooting that the Spurs struggled with in this game were both in ball security and rebounding. San Antonio had 22 turnovers, which directly led to 24 easy points for the Knicks, and would get dominated on the backboard. The turnover problem has been one that has plagued the Spurs all season, as they rank in the top ten in turnovers committed this season.
Knicks and Spurs Stay Put In the Standings
Although today’s game was a key matchup for both teams, the overall result doesn’t drastically affect their current positions in their respective conference standings. For the Knicks, they stay firmly in 3rd place in the East, trailing the Boston Celtics by 2 games for the coveted 2nd-place position. However, New York did give itself a bit of a cushion with the win, as they hold a two-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
For San Antonio, they’ll have to wait a little bit longer to wrestle away the top spot in the West from the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they now move two and a half games back of OKC with the loss. Thankfully, this loss also does not jeopardize their current position in the Western Conference standings, as they maintain a sizable lead over teams like the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets for the 2nd-place spot out West.
