The New York Knicks are locked in. They have now won a season-high seven consecutive games as they destroyed the tanking Washington Wizards on Tuesday 132-101.
The Knicks’ offense was humming from the start
New York’s offense was firing on all cylinders from the jump, dominating the Wizards in the first half 72-45. Similar to the Lakers game, the Knicks did their work collectively, with Jalen Brunson not needing to take over the game.
NBA: New York Knicks at Washington Wizards
Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
Karl-Anthony Towns (19 points, 15 rebounds), Mikal Bridges (team-high 23 points), and OG Anunoby (19 points) all put in strong offensive performances to carry the load. Off the bench, Landry Shamet (14 points) and Tyler Kolek (6 assists in 21 minutes) led the way and continued their stretch of solid play, showcasing their depth even without Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson.
As a team, New York shot 52% from the field and 46% from three, putting an efficient showing all-around. Their offense is clicking at the right time, as they continue to make things look easy on that end of the floor.
The Knicks’ defense continues to be suffocating
The Knicks’ defense has been relentless over the course of this winning streak, and once again they showed a solid effort on that end of the floor, leading to another dominant performance.
NBA: New York Knicks at Washington Wizards
Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
The Wizards shot just 40% from the field and 35% from three, as New York silenced Washington from the beginning. The Knicks never trailed in this game, the second time in the last three games that they won wire-to-wire.
The stars on defense were their wing pairing of Bridges and Anunoby. Bridges recorded threes blocks and Anunoby contributed a steal and a block to his tally as he continued his productive week.
Mohamed Diawara and Josh Hart suffered injury scares
The Knicks are already without McBride and Robinson to ankle injuries, and they nearly lost another to an ankle injury.
NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at New York Knicks
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Rookie forward Mohamed Diawara, who scored five points in just four minutes in the first half, turned his left ankle on a rebound attempt and had to be helped to the locker room. Considering his strong play before the injury, it was a tough blow for both him and the Knicks.
Luckily, he was seen warming up before the second half, which seemed to be a good sign, according to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III. However, he would not return for the rest of the game, so the hope is that holding him out was out of precaution.
Hart, meanwhile, also turned his left ankle on a close out contest early in the third quarter. He limped back to the locker room and did not return. Hart previously missed eight games after spraining his right ankle on Christmas Day.
Overview
The Knicks take care of business against Washington, but they have a tough road ahead that starts Wednesday back home against the Denver Nuggets. They will be going for their eighth straight win.