New York Knicks Break Road Skid With Impressive 130-119 Win Over Memphis Grizzlies
The New York Knicks’ four-game road trip ended last night when they traveled to Memphis to take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the FedExForum. The Knicks were looking for some light at the end of the tunnel after going winless on their road trip, and were hoping a lowly Grizzlies team would be just the fix that they needed. The Grizzlies, who are heavily depleted by injuries, were just looking to keep their heads above water.
Knicks Came Out With a Quick Start
On the opening play of the game, Jose Alvarado threw an alley-oop to OG Anunoby, which was a clear indicator of how the rest of the game would go. Alvarado followed up with a made three-pointer off an assist from Josh Hart, helping the Knicks get off to a 5-0 start. Alvarado finished the game with 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in 32 minutes of play. He also started in place of Jalen Brunson, who sat out due to right ankle soreness.
The Grizzlies kept the game competitive throughout the majority of the quarter, staying on the Knicks’ heels until a little bit over three minutes left. The score was 29-24 when Karl-Anthony Towns dished a dime to Mikal Bridges for a back-door lay-up, which started a Knicks 11-0 run, making the score 40-24. Knicks’ players who normally don’t get off the bench, like Tyler Kolek (9 pts, 3 rebs, 7 ast) and Ariel Hukporti (7 pts, 6 rebs, 3 ast), were able to see some minutes in the first due to a missing Brunson and Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks ended the quarter with an 18-point lead, 48-30, as their efficiency was nearly perfect. They missed only two of their 15 shots in the first quarter and finished the quarter shooting 17-of-21, which was 81% from the field. They were also a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Knicks Continued To Keep the Grizzlies At Bay
Memphis started the second quarter with a three-pointer from GG Jackson II off a nice pass from Cam Spencer (10 pts, 1 reb, 8 ast), but Mikal Bridges could not be stopped. He added an and-one on the other end, pushing the Knicks’ lead back to 18, and finishing the game with 24 points, contributing 6-of-8 shooting from the field before halftime. With a little over eight minutes to go in the quarter, the Knicks were up by 22, making the score 62-40.
With a little over five minutes remaining in the half, Adama Bal (11 pts, 2 rebs, 2 ast) knocked down a three-pointer for the Grizzlies, cutting the Knicks’ lead to 15. Landry Shamet, who has been out during the Knicks’ four-game road trip, dealing with an injured right knee tibial plateau contusion, answered with a three-pointer on the other end. He contributed 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in 31 minutes of play.
The Knicks ended the half shooting 71% from the field and 70% from three-point range. The score was 79-62 at halftime.
Grizzlies Attempt To Mount a Comeback
The Grizzlies tried their hand at a comeback in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks 31-22. A three-point bomb from Olivier-Maxence Prosper (17 pts, 4 rebs, 2 stl) at the nine-minute mark brought the Grizzlies to within 12 points, 85-73. Javon Small was able to get a step-back three-point shot to drop on Towns, cutting the lead to nine, and forcing head coach Mike Brown to call a timeout. Small contributed 13 points, 4 assists, and a steal.
The Grizzlies continued to hustle, going on a 7-0 run late in the third quarter to bring them to within three, 90-87. The surge was led by Jackson II, who finished with 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Grizzlies kept aggressive pressure on the defensive end, forcing the Knicks into turnovers that were turned into points on the other end. Unfortunately, Shamet was able to take the wind out of the Grizzlies’ sails, hitting an and-one corner three-pointer to end the Grizzlies’ run.
The Knicks were able to regain control before the end of the quarter, still in the lead 99-90.
Towns and Anunoby Close Out the Game
The Grizzlies were able to stay at least 9 points behind the Knicks for most of the fourth quarter. With a little over three minutes left in the game, the score was 122-108, then Towns and Anunoby took over what Bridges and Alvarado started.
Entering the fourth quarter with only 8 points, Anunoby exploded for 17 points in the final 12 minutes to lead all scorers with a game-high 25 points. He finished the game with a double-double, adding 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal to his stat sheet. Towns officially completed his fourth triple-double of the season, and 20th of his career, contributing 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The Knicks barely outscored the Grizzlies in the fourth quarter, 31–29, but their first-quarter dominance gave them all the cushion they needed to take home the win and snap their three-game losing streak, 130-119.
FAQ Section
Q: What was the final score?
A: 130-119
Q: Who was the MVP of the game?
A: OG Anunoby
Q: What was the turning point?
A: OG Anunoby exploding for 17 points in the fourth quarter.
What’s Next For Each Team?
The Knicks (49-28) will return to Madison Square Garden on Friday to host the Chicago Bulls. They have five games remaining in the regular season as they push to secure their playoff positioning. The Grizzlies (25-51) will continue their season-long six-game homestand on Friday against the Toronto Raptors.
