The New York Knicks were able to cool down one of the hottest teams in the NBA on Sunday. Here is how it happened.
The New York Knicks defended Madison Square Garden against the third-best team in basketball on Sunday, defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 114-89.
The Knicks’ convincing win over San Antonio ended a winning streak for the Spurs that saw them go 11-0 through the month of February. Multiple factors went into the victory for New York; let’s break them down.
Contributions Across the Board
Just two days ago, the Knicks had seven players finish in double figures in a blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Sunday’s big performance against the Spurs was reminiscent of those widespread contributions, as New York had six players notch double figures.
Mikal Bridges was the high man for his team after scoring 25 points on a 58.8% shooting clip. He also hit 55.6% of his 3-point attempts. Jalen Brunson followed suit with 24 points, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby each added 12 points, Mohamed Diawara contributed 14 points off the bench and Josh Hart rounded out the double-figure scoring in the starting lineup with 10.
Taking Away Their Weapons
While the Knicks were getting everyone involved on offense, they did well to severely limit San Antonio, especially its best players.
Victor Wembanyama led the way for the Spurs with 25 points, but he shot just 1-7 from the perimeter and had seven turnovers. Devin Vassell had 18 points, and Stephon Castle had 13 points.
De’Aaron Fox, who has been averaging 19 points per game this season, was held to seven points on 30% shooting.
Overall, the Knicks held San Antonio to 41.6% shooting from the field and 26.5% from 3-point range.
“We want to play the best teams,” Wembanyama said after the game. “This is a top-seeded playoff team — experienced. They know what it's like, and they gave us a good showing today.”
Mikal Bridges’ Defense
Not only did Mikal Bridges lead the Knicks in scoring on Sunday, but he was also a defensive menace.
In addition to Bridges’ 25-point outing, he also notched five steals to make life rough for the Spurs on the offensive end.
After the game, Bridges highlighted where he believes the Knicks have improved defensively.
“I think just helping more,” Bridges said. “I think in the past sometimes we were leaving guys on the island and not trusting each other as much, but we talked about it and know we had to be better and we keep getting better at it.”
Winning the Stat Sheet
The Knicks did more than just shoot the ball better than the Spurs. When it came to several categories, they were superior.
New York was able to win the rebounding battle, 54-41. 18 of those rebounds came on the offensive end, which helped lead to 23 second-chance points. Meanwhile, the Spurs only secured 10 offensive rebounds that converted into 13 second-chance points.
When it was time to speed things up, the Knicks were also the better team. When it came to fast break points, New York replicated its 23-13 score over the Spurs.
With a big win to start March, the Knicks have a gauntlet of opponents on the horizon. The next four games will be against the Toronto Raptors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. Three of those games are on the road.