The Knicks opened a six-game homestand on Tuesday night with a 118-103 victory over the Utah Jazz, pushing their winning streak to eight games.
Here are some takeaways…
– Like they did in Monday’s commanding win over the Charolette Hornets, the Knicks played shorthanded in this one, as star SF OG Anunoby was ruled out for the second straight game due to right elbow inflammation.
With Anunoby still being considered day-to-day, Tom Thibodeau was again forced to turn to a makeshift starting five consisting of Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Precious Achiwua, and Isaiah Hartenstein.
– Utah got out to a nine-point advantage early in the first quarter after starting 3-for-3 from behind the arc, but NY answered right back with a surge of their own led by back-to-back threes from DiVincenzo to help put the Knicks on front for the first time.
DiVincenzo built off Monday night’s strong outing in the first quarter, knocking down three threes en route to 11 points while also recording an assist and a pair of steals. He appeared to roll his ankle on a Walker Kessler block late in the frame, but was running up the court fine afterwards.
– New York carried a seven-point advantage into the second quarter, and their second unit got off to a strong start behind seven points and five rebounds from Quentin Grimes, but the shooting guard left the game after turning his ankle and knee on a Collin Sexton drive to the basket.
DiVincenzo subbed in for Grimes and he picked up right where he left off, knocking down his fourth and fifth three-point attempts of the first half and then playing tenacious defense on the other end to force a Utah shot clock violation.
Despite playing shorthanded, and Brunson making just two field goals in the first half, the Knicks carried a eight point lead into the break. DiVincenzo led all scorers with 19 points and Achiwua was taking advantage of his increased opportunity with 11 of his own.
– The Jazz started the third quarter on a 9-4 run capped off by a Sexton corner three which cut the deficit down to one, but as was the case all night, DiVincenzo helped NY respond with 11 straight points to put them back in front by double digits.
The Knicks would build off that run, and for the second straight night, they built the lead up to 25 and put the win away in the third quarter behind their ferocious defense and red-hot shooting from behind the arc.
– DiVincenzo left to an ovation from the MSG crowd after drilling his eighth three pointer of the night just minutes into the fourth quarter, setting a new career-high. He finished an all-around dominant performance with 33 points on 9-of-15 shooting from behind the arc, five rebounds, four assists, five steals, and a block.
Brunson started out relatively quiet, making just two field goals in the first half, but he took over down the stretch to finish with 27 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and a block.
Hart finished with a line of 10-10-10 for his first-career triple-double and Hartenstein put together a 14 point-12 rebound double-double. Achiuwa stepped up in his second consecutive start with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and Grimes was able to return from his early injury scare to finish with 12 points and six rebounds.
After fans rained down chants for Taj Gibson over the final minutes of the game, Thibodeau gave in and inserted the center in his first game back with the team, to help dribble out the 118-103 victory.
– The Knicks improved to 14-2 since the beginning of the New Year, which is the best month-long stretch in franchise history since March of 1994 (14-0). They also now own sole possession of the third seed in the Eastern Conference, jumping the Philadelphia 76ers.
Highlights
What’s next
New York will look to keep the momentum going when old friend Obi Toppin returns to MSG with the Indiana Pacers on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
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