“It was the kind of moment I dreamed of when I was a young kid” – Kemba Walker on getting cheered by New York Knicks fans at MSG
Kemba Walker finally had his day under the sun. Or rather, he finally had his big moment at Madison Square Garden.
The point guard netted 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting to lift the New York Knicks to a resounding 112-99 win at home against the Philadelphia 76ers. Before Tuesday's encounter, he scored 10, 11 and 10 points in his opening three games for his new NBA team.
Signature @KembaWalker. https://t.co/6jB5rvJwxd
Walker also went 5-of-11 from downtown in a game that saw him torch the 76ers for 10 quick points before halftime. His scoring blitz propped up the Knicks’ eight-point lead (47-39) with about four minutes left to play in the second period to a 20-point lead at halftime.
Speaking to the media about his performance after the convincing win, Kemba Walker said:
“I was waiting for that moment. It was the kind of moment I dreamed of when I was a young kid, wanting to be in the NBA, watching the Knicks play, coming to a Knicks game and seeing how the crowd goes crazy. That was a great moment for me.”
Kemba Walker on the MSG crowd reaction to his 2nd Q scoring run: “I was waiting for that moment. It was the kind of moment I dreamed of when I was a young kid wanting to be in the NBA, watching the Knicks play ….seeing how the crowd goes crazy.” https://t.co/aRTNmTX0ec
The win was a team effort from the New York Knicks. Besides Kemba Walker’s contribution, the home team saw Julius Randle come up with a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds). Evan Fournier tallied 18 points, while Derrick Rose had 13 points coming off the bench.
Walker acknowledged his teammates' contributions in a contest where Philadelphia's Joel Embiid was limited to just seven field-goal attempts for his 14 points. He said:
“It was just such a great team win. Everybody contributed in many different ways. That’s how New York basketball is. Everybody brings us together. It was fun.”
Home W's are always special.
Ju: 16 PTS | 11 REB | 7 AST
RJ: 10 PTS | 7 REB
Kemba: 19 PTS | 5 AST
Evan: 18 PTS (6-10 FG)
D-Rose 13 PTS (4-7 FG)
Obi: 9 PTS | 4 REB
Quick: 8 PTS https://t.co/XKj8nHCmAG
Kemba Walker and the New York Knicks are off to a 3-1 start
Two nights after they lost to Orlando at home, the New York Knicks are back to their winning ways with a victory against Philadelphia. Their latest win has them tied with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets for an identical 3-1 record.
The Knicks were leading 80-74 at the end of three quarters during their match against the Orlando Magic on Sunday. However, Tom Thibodeau's men were outscored 24-36 in the last 12 minutes, giving the Magic an upset 104-110 victory.
Kemba Walker scored 10 points in only 19 minutes of play, while Randle (30 points) and Rose (23 points) combined for 53 points between them.
Julius Randle said he was “sick” from the Orlando loss. “I didn’t go to sleep until, like, 4 o’clock,” he said. Thibodeau talked about how he knew the Knicks took that loss personally. Responded with a 13-point win over the Sixers tonight.
Kemba Walker and the New York Knicks will now head to Chicago on Thursday in an attempt to hand the 4-0 Bulls their first defeat of the season. Both teams' form so far this season has reignited talk of their old 1990s rivalry.