Shorthanded Suns Stun Knicks

Final Score: Knicks 116 - Suns 113
Record: 9-7 (4-3 home) 

The Knicks caught a break on Sunday. Just before tip-off, the Suns announced that Kevin Durant, the team's leading scorer (31.4 PPG), could not suit up due to a sore foot. Phoenix was also without Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen (one of only two Suns who had started each of Phoenix's first 16 games this season).

Consequently, the Suns started both Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop.

So, the Knicks, playing in front of their home crowd, stormed out of the gates and put their foot on the throat of their shorthanded Suns, right? 

Wrong. 

New York was lackadaisical on defense and was dominated on the glass. The Suns missed the first shot of the game, but Okogie snatched the ball away from Quentin Grimes to win a second possession for his team, which led to a Devin Booker bucket. Phoenix grabbed 17 rebounds in the first quarter (nine more than NY), including eight on the offensive end. 

Here's the Suns' second bucket of the game. Randle never even gets his hands up. 

Phoenix was up by double-digits midway through the first quarter and built the lead up to 15 points halfway through the second. 

"The way we came out really hurt us," Thibs said after the loss. "They beat us to the ball, and that's usually a strength. We got in a hole, used a lot of energy to come back, couldn't finish it in the end."