It wasn’t always pretty, but the Knicks started their four-game West Coast road trip with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers, 105-93, on Thursday night.
Here are the takeaways…
– Jalen Brunson was the best player on the court and received “MVP” chants in Portland at various points in the game. The guard scored 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting in the first half and finished with 45 points on 14-of-30 shooting.
It’s the sixth time Brunson has scored 40-plus points this season.
Brunson was the floor general, and whenever the Knicks needed points, the All-Star would drive to the basket and often get an and-one. He went to the line 17 times — a season-high — and made 15. No other Knick went to the line three times.
– Josh Hart, returning to Portland, continued to stuff the stat sheet. He finished with five points — on 3-of-8 shooting — with 15 rebounds and two assists. It’s the fifth time this season Hart has come down with 15 or more rebounds.
Hart did pick up his third personal foul with 10 minutes to play in the first half, so he was limited in the first two quarters, and that probably hurt him in the scoring department.
– OG Anunoby was everything the Knicks traded for on both ends of the floor. While he wasn’t as dynamic on the offensive end (12 points), his defense — two steals and nine rebounds — was elite again.
There was a scary moment with about five minutes remaining in the second quarter. Anunoby reached in for a steal and favored his right elbow afterward. He was subbed out and wrapped his elbow on the bench, but did not immediately go to the locker room.
He did come out to start the third quarter and didn’t show too much discomfort as he played his form of defense and threw down a few dunks. He was a plus-11, and over his 16 games in the lineup, the forward is a plus-291.
The Knicks are now 14-2 with Anunoby in the lineup.
– The Knicks didn’t hold their opponent to less than 80 points for the fourth straight game, but it was still stifling. They made 11 steals as a team and forced 17 turnovers.
There were a few moments where the Blazers stuck around — the Knicks were up just one point after the first — and this plucky Portland group made various runs to get within striking distance.
However, New York’s talent was too much for Portland. The Blazers were without their top four scorers.
– The only part of the Knicks’ game that didn’t show up on Thursday night was their three-point shooting.
New York shot 4-of-19 from three in the first half and finished 6-for29 from downtown.
Here is how the notable Knicks shot from three on Thursday:
– Alec Burks played just four minutes and scored five points. He didn’t play the entire second half, and coach Thibodeau said after the game that it was a basketball decision.
Highlights
What’s Next…
The Knicks continue their West Coast road trip on Saturday when they travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m.
