Knicks Step Up Down The Stretch in Toronto
Jalen Brunson is on pace to become the first player in NBA history to average more than 25 points and more than seven assists, yet fewer than 2.5 turnovers per game.
Final Score: Knicks 113 - Raps 108
Record: 15-9
There are the types of victories that build character. It wasn't pretty, but the Knicks gutted out a tough win on the road, saving their best for crunch time.
The 'Bockers survived a bunch of three-point bombs from former comrade RJ Barrett. And New York's Captain was injured, only to valiantly return later in the battle.
In a game that featured 18 lead changes, New York was trailing 106-105 with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. That's when Knicks' key contributors stepped up and made massive plays to secure a much-needed win.
Mikal Bridges snapped out of his much-discussed shooting slump last week but had yet to make a big, momentum-shifting shot this season… until last night. Down one with 1:40 on the clock, Bridges drilled a three-pointer from the left corner (off a beautiful pass from Karl-Anthony Towns) to put the Knicks up by a bucket.
However, Barrett (who was dominant for long stretches during the game) converted a finger roll to tie the score at 108 with 40 seconds remaining.
After the Knicks called timeout to advance the ball, the Raps decided to double Brunson off the inbound. JB surveyed the floor and found KAT underneath the rim for a layup. Knicks up two.
You knew RJ would want to take matters into his own hands with the game on the line, but the player he was traded for had other ideas. Barrett had scored successfully on OG Anunoby over the first 47 minutes of the contest, but OG blocked his shot in the paint in the closing moments.
On New York's final offensive possession, KAT knocked down a three-point dagger to seal the deal. After that, he pulled off the patented "John Starks point to the 'New York' on his chest" celebration.
If there was any doubt, Towns is now officially a Knick.
Great teams need to learn how to find ways to win games in which they don't play particularly well. New York still has a lot to clean up, especially on the defensive end. But they did what was required late in the game to secure the victory. This win was also special because it required contributions from all five starters.
🏀 Despite missing New York's previous contest with a knee issue and being listed as questionable Monday afternoon, KAT racked up 24 points (7-of-13 FGs, 8-of-10 FTs), 15 rebounds, six assists, two steals, two blocks and two 3-pointers.
We know he can score, and his rebounding has been phenomenal (KAT is averaging a league-leading 13.6 RPG). Still, Towns' passing has probably been the most pleasant surprise to those of us who didn't watch him on a nightly basis during his days in Minnesota.
It also helps that Thibs allows KAT to frequently facilitate the offense, scanning the floor from the high post, and that the Knicks' wings are constantly cutting to open areas.
Over his final two seasons with the Wolves combined, Towns had a total of six games in which he grabbed more than ten rebounds and dished out 5+ assists. KAT has seven such games through the first quarter of his first season in New York.
Here are all six of his dimes in Monday's victory.
Towns is also starting to find his footing defensively. As DJ Zullo tweeted this morning, opponents have been shooting 62.5% against KAT within six feet of the rim over the past month. While that is far from elite rim protection, it's a significant improvement over the first few weeks of the season and a step in the right direction.
KAT has already recorded six games with 2+ blocks, 2+ made three-pointers and 15+ rebounds. No other player in Knicks franchise history has more than two such outings.
🏀 Bridges clutch 3PT with less than two minutes left was his fifth triple of the contest. He finished the game with 23 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal on 9-of-14 shooting.
Through the five games the Knicks have played in December, Bridges is averaging 22.4 points, 3.8 dimes, 1.2 steals and 3.8 three-pointers while shooting a blistering 56.4% from the field and 45.2% from downtown.
Part of Bridges' increased efficiency has stemmed from his progression to the mean from above the break. He was 9-for-47 (19%) on ATB threes in November. He's 8-for-22 (36.4%) this month.
Bridges is also posting the best plus-minus in the NBA in December, by far, at +109 in 197 minutes. (No other player in the league is above +77).
He is one of only two players in the league averaging above +15 plus/minus and more than 20+ points per game while shooting above 50% from the floor in December. The other is Luka Doncic.
And remember, Bridges has done all this while leading the league in minutes played. He's good.
🏀 Brunson appeared to tweak his ankle after stepping on a fan's foot in the third quarter but returned to action in the fourth. Although The Captain's scoring numbers have dipped (averaging only 25.2 PPG this season), you could argue he's been more valuable in 2024-25 than in 2023-24 (when he finished fifth in MVP voting).
JB's eFG% has jumped up from 54% to 57%. He has dished out double-digit assists in consecutive contests and is averaging a career-high 7.8 APG vs. just 2.4 turnovers.
"It's been happening a lot more recently," Brunson said of that defensive pressure he's faced recently. "I've always worked on stuff like that. I just like to trust my reads and my instincts."
According to Basketball Reference, Brunson is on pace to become the first player in NBA history to average more than 25 points and more than seven assists, yet fewer than 2.5 turnovers per game.
That seems good.
🏀 As a team, New York reached the 30-assist plateau for the 12th this season. They now rank second in the NBA in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Knicks haven't had more than 15 games with 29+ assists in an entire season since 1994. They are averaging 28.9 APG in 2024-25.
This is the first time in franchise history the Knicks have had 12 games with 30+ dimes over the first 24 games of a season.
Team ball.
"Brunson's 10, 11 (assists) every night now," Thibodeau said after Monday's win. "He's creating a lot of good offense for us. Everyone shares in that responsibility. Read the game, and don't hold on to the ball too long. If you're open, I want you to shoot. If you're not open, I don't want you to overdribble, either. Just read what they're doing. When you have players who play for each other and play unselfishly, you're going to get high-percentage shots from that."
🏀 Somehow, we have yet to shower OG with praise. Anunoby tallied 14 points, four boards, three assists, two steals and three blocks in 41 minutes on Monday night. While counting stats rarely tell the entire story regarding overall defensive impact, OG has posted some incredible numbers this month.
In the five games the Knicks have played in December, he is averaging 2.6 blocks and 2.6 steals. That is tied for the league lead in swats with Walker Kessler and tied for third in steals with Nikola Jokic.
Among all players with double-digit swipes this month, no one has more than four blocks. (OG has 13 rejections).
NBA leaderboard for most stocks (blocks + steals) this month:
1. OG Anunoby: 26
2. Jaren Jackson Jr.: 20
3. Dyson Daniels: 18
3. Dejounte Murray: 18
5. Anthony Davis: 15
5. Nikola Jokic: 15
Anunoby joins Patrick Ewing as just the second player in Knicks franchise history to average 2.5+ steals and 2.5+ blocks over a five-game span.
🏀 Miles McBride chipped in eight points, five assists and two treys in 26 minutes off the bench. Cam Payne returned to action after missing two games with an elbow issue. He had seven points and an assist in 13 minutes.
🏀 Precious Achiuwa was the only backup big to see the floor on Monday. He was solid, tallying seven points, six boards and two blocks in 16 minutes. His versatility on the defensive end and ability to switch on the perimeter are huge pluses. Jericho Sims was smacked with a DNP-CD and may be out of the rotation going forward.
Yes, Thibs sticking with an eight-man rotation this early in the season would be extremely risky.
🏀 Next Up:
Knicks vs. Hawks Wednesday night (7:00 PM tip on ESPN).
New York hosts Atlanta in the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup on Wednesday night. The Hawks are 13-12 on the season but have been playing their best since Thanksgiving. In fact, they had won six straight games (including victories at Milwaukee and at Cleveland) before losing to the Nuggets on Sunday.
Look for New York to fire away from downtown. The Hawks allow 16 made three-pointers per game (most in the NBA), while the Knicks shot 40% from downtown (the second-best percentage in the league).
If the Knicks lose to Atlanta, they will play one non-Cup game on either 12/15 at Milwaukee or 12/16 at Orlando (depending on who wins the Magic vs. Bucks game tomorrow night).
If the Knicks beat Atlanta, they will travel to Las Vegas for the Cup semifinals on Saturday.
If New York wins its semifinal game, it will participate in the Cup Final, which will be played next Tuesday at 8:30 PM.