With the giant Jalen Brunson, the Knicks beat the eye-popping Spurs

No doubt they would have liked the style of the meeting to be different and the outcome of the meeting to be less controversial, but the important thing is that Knicks : victory at the final signal (117-114). The third in a row begins in 2023 after a five-game losing streak that ended the previous year a few days ago.

Because despite an unblemished record Spurs Reflecting their lackluster performance this season (12-25 before the game) (28th-best offensive rating, 30th-best defensive rating), Gregg Popovich’s men played their chances boldly and boldly on the parquet floor of Madison Square Garden. 20,000 New Yorkers were scared to death. The result of the match is decided by possession of the ball, tie Keldon Johnson started too late after some very good defensive sequences from the home side.

In a game decidedly focused on offense (48% shooting for the Knicks, 50% for the Spurs) Jalen Brunson He was the man to watch for the Knicks: 38 points on 17/27 shooting, a new career high, as well as 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Delighted with ease, he consistently dissected opposing defenses in the pick-and-roll and clearly carried his team on his shoulders. It helped well in the task Julius Randlegreedy and clumsy (9/25 shooting), but heroic with 25 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks!

The Knicks thus gained confidence by winning matchups against tougher, weaker teams than expected, before trying to get revenge on the Raptors in Toronto later in the week and also win a fourth straight.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Jalen Brunson, All-Star caliber. He was already very good against the Suns, a game that marked his return after missing the previous three outings due to hip soreness, and the Knicks point guard faced with humility and missed a very, very big game to avoid a nasty surprise for his team. but tough Spurs. Authoring the best basketball of his career this season, he peaked against the often naive Spurs in the pick-and-roll game. Despite his more limited frame than some other players in his position, he remained a very high-caliber racy striker in this league and a formidable conductor and stabilizer for his nation more broadly. The fourth quarter was particularly impressive, when he made 5 of 8 shots to put away the still-lurching Spurs. There will be competition in the Eastern Conference, but it’s no longer a shadow of a doubt: Jalen Brunson deserves his first career All-Star Game next month in Utah.

– The Knicks are doing well. “Thank you Jalen.” After that narrow victory, former Villanova teammates might have had words in the locker room. Because without him defeat was certain and could even be heavy. Because the Knicks floundered defensively and gave up the league’s least effective third offense, hitting 50%, including almost 40% behind the arc… It’s surprising that Jalen Brunson’s teammates were in the Top 10 before the game. “Defensive Rating” (9th place with 112.1 points per 100 possessions). Spurs were particularly successful, admittedly, but Thibs’ men still lacked concentration and toughness, especially in the pick-and-roll in the box.

TOPS & FLOPS

✅ Julius Randle. On offense alone, the Knicks power forward was ineffective, scoring 25 points on 26 shots and five turnovers. But his effort in all other areas eventually makes up for this shooting awkwardness, with the No. 30 aggressively striving to be useful on the field. A match of course for the second part of the season.

✅ Immanuel Quickley. The Knicks’ regular sixth man, owner for the fifth straight time in the absence of RJ Barrett, never stops performing well. In the role of the third thief, in the relay of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, the former master of the state of Kentucky went to tickle the triple-double: 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for one turnover. As the months go by, the third-year point guard is becoming an increasingly reliable secondary ball carrier.

⛔️ Mitchell Robinson. Very quickly worried about mistakes (3 at halftime, 5 at the beginning of “money time”), the main owner of New York was able to spend only 13 minutes on the boards of “MSG”. Enough for 5 points and 5 rebounds, but pretty insignificant in the scope of the match. His extended absence also severely punished the Knicks, who were a bit of a hindrance without a rim protector on the racket (46 points against).

✅ Keldon Johnson. The Spurs winger gave the Knicks defense some cold sweats, especially by putting great pressure on his circle (10/12 on free throws). Clumsy in the first half, he found his rhythm after the break, really scoring baskets from the circle. Unfortunately, he missed the tying goal, which he launched after the buzzer anyway.

✅ Zach Collins. The former Portland prospect is showing good things in Texas once he gets over his physical handicaps. It was nice to see him comfortable and good with Tre Jones (14 points and 6 assists) during this matchup. In particular, we saw him take mid-range shots without hesitation when leaving the screen and intelligently negotiate phases in the low post. He collected 16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

NEXT

– Knicks (21-18): Travel to Toronto, Friday night to Saturday (1:30am)

– Spurs (12-26): Reception of pistons, Friday to Saturday night (02:00)