New York Knicks Show Grit, Come Up Short Against Oklahoma City Thunder On the Road, 111-100
The New York Knicks played their second road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder last night in what many believed to be a preview of a potential NBA Finals. The Paycom Center was electrifying, and the fans were amped for a primetime Sunday night showdown.
The Knicks came ready to play with a healthy roster for the most part, and so did the Thunder. It was a close game for most of the way, with star performances from both teams, but ultimately, the Thunder came away with their second straight home win.
First Quarter Jitters
The first quarter opened with a made three-pointer from the Thunder’s Luguentz Dort off an assist from Chet Holmgren. Knicks Center Karl-Anthony Towns came down on the other end and made two free throws, making the score 3-2. The Knicks tied the game at 9 with 7:21 remaining in the quarter by going on a 7-0 run, forcing Head Coach Daigneault to call a timeout.
The Thunder took the lead again off another made three-point basket from Dort, who finished the game with 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. Towns grabbed the rebound off of an OG Anunoby missed shot from beyond the arc, passed it to Josh Hart, who got the ball back to Anunoby (10 pts, 3 ast, 1 stl), who took it into the basket and was fouled by Isaiah Hartenstein. Anunoby made both free throws, making the score 12-11.
Miles “Deuce” McBride entered the game for the first time since being injured in late January. He contributed 1 rebound and 1 assist in 11 minutes of play before leaving the game without returning due to a collision with Dort in the third quarter.
With a little over five minutes left in the quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drew a shooting foul on Anunoby and made both free throws, making the score 14-11. The first quarter ended with the Thunder in the lead by three, 26-23. The Knicks struggled significantly with their efficiency, shooting only 28% from the field.
Jalen Brunson Closes the Second Quarter
The second quarter started with the Thunder going on a 7-0 run, making the score 30-23, forcing HC Mike Brown to call a timeout. Brown made some substitutions in between the first and second quarter, which included McBride, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, and Mitchell Robinson, but none gave the Knicks a spark.
Towns was benched early in the first quarter for Robinson, for reasons unknown. He was finally able to get on the board with a little over eight minutes left in the second quarter by taking advantage of a mismatch between him and Alex Caruso. He finished the night with another double-double for the season with 15 points and 18 rebounds.
Midway through the period, Jalen Williams came down and scored on an and-one due to a shooting foul from Mikal Bridges, igniting the home crowd. He finished the half with 20 points on just nine shooting attempts and contributed a total of 22 points in the victory.
Alvarado was finally able to provide the Knicks with a spark by hitting a pair of threes to help open up the floor during the five-minute mark in the quarter.
Brunson tied the game up at 42 with a three-point bomb. The Thunder went on a 9-3 run before putting the Knicks in the bonus with 1:28 left to go in the half. Brunson (32 pts, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) went 1-of-2 from the free throw line, making the score 51-46.
In the final minute of the half, Brunson hit a key three-pointer that brought the Knicks to within two. He then drew a charge on Williams with 10 seconds left. This set up a last-second possession where Josh Hart (15 pts, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) drained a deep three-point buzzer beater, making the score off an assist from Brunson. The Thunder take the lead into the half up by one, 53-52.
Knicks Keep the Third Quarter Tight
The Thunder outscored the Knicks 31-26 in the third quarter to take an 84-78 lead in the fourth. At the beginning of the third quarter, Towns received a flagrant 1 offensive foul on Holmgren for hitting him in the face on a lay-up attempt. Holmgren made both free throws, putting the Thunder up 55-54. Williams scored a three-pointer with a little over eight minutes to go in the quarter, making the score 62-56.
While Gilgeous-Alexander struggled from the field, he repeatedly got to the free-throw line to help maintain the Thunder’s lead. He reached 20 points by the end of the frame, extending his NBA record for consecutive 20-point games to 135. He contributed 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists to the win.
Brown had a heated exchange with the refs and received a technical foul while arguing for a foul call on a Brunson shot attempt.
The Thunder took a nine-point lead after a few three-point exchanges between them and the Knicks, with the score settling at 85-76. Robinson is then used in the “Hack-a-Shaq” method and went 1-of-2 at the free throw line, missing the free throw on the back end, to which the Knicks get the rebound and Brunson makes a mid-range jumper with 1.4 seconds left on the clock, ending the quarter 85-78.
SGA Takes Over Late In the Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter opened with a made three-pointer from Carso, who added 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. Gilgeous-Alexander took over the quarter, scoring 10 of his 30 points in the final minutes. After shooting 5-of-15 in the first three quarters, he went on a perfect 3-for-3 from the field in the fourth to seal the W.
The Knicks gave a strong push when they were able to cut the Thunder lead to one when Towns finished an and-one layup off of a pass from Alvarado with 6:33 remaining in the game, making the score 92-91. Following the Knicks’ surge, the Thunder responded with a dominant 19-9 run to close out the game.
The Thunder’s depth and defensive intensity, led by Caruso, ultimately stifled the Knicks’ comeback attempt, and the Thunder came away with the win, 111-100.
FAQ Section
Q: What was the final score?
A: 111-100
Q: Who was the MVP of the game?
A: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Q: What was the turning point?
A: Midway through the fourth quarter, the Thunder responded to a Knicks surge with a decisive 19-9 run.
What’s Next For Each Team?
The Knicks (48-27) will continue their road trip, traveling to face the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. With seven games left in the regular season, the Knicks are currently third in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Boston Celtics by 2.5 games for the second seed.
The Thunder (59-16) are currently in the middle of their longest homestand of the season. Following their victory over the Knicks, they will stay at home to host the Detroit Pistons on Monday. With only seven games remaining, the Thunder hold the best record in the NBA and are looking to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference.
