Washington Wizards 102-106 New York Knicks: 5 hits and flops
The New York Knicks had a furious rally to defeat the Washington Wizards 106-102 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
The Knicks swept the season series by winning their second straight match of a back-to-back set with the Wizards, who led by as much as 17 points in the game.
It was an incredible comeback by Tom Thibodeau’s team, which was shooting so poorly for the better part of three quarters before making a huge run against the Washington Wizards in the final period.
The New York Knicks made just 1 of 12 from three-point territory in the first half and were 1-for-17 at one point. It wasn’t until RJ Barrett made a three from the wings about four minutes into the third quarter that they broke the poor shooting streak.
The Washington Wizards were the exact opposite of the New York Knicks. They were doing everything right and made 53.7 percent of their field goals in the first half. It was a different story in the second as they shot just 15 of 39 from the floor for a horrible 38.5 percent shooting.
Here are our five hits and flops from the Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks game:
Hit: Alec Burks (New York Knicks)
Alec Burks was a sight for sore eyes for the New York Knicks faithful. He was the only player who shot well throughout the game.
Burks made two straight threes in the fourth quarter that cut the Washington Wizards’ lead to three. He later made a jumper with 2:13 to go, using a Taj Gibson screen to give his team a 98-92 lead.
Scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter, Burks made one clutch shot after another, including two free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining. His efforts gave the New York Knicks their second win in a row against the Washington Wizards and their third victory in the last four games.
This was Burks' fourth straight 20-point game, but it was his best performance of the stretch.
Flop: Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
This was a forgettable performance for the New York Knicks franchise player. While he was hobbled by a leg injury that occurred when he was bumped earlier in the game, Julius Randle’s shot was off from the start, making just 2 of 9 shots in the first half and 5 of 16 overall.
In the third quarter, the first-time All-Star committed a 24-second violation, as if he didn’t know how much time was on the clock. Needless to say, this was a bizarre game from one of the steadiest players in the league.
He somewhat redeemed himself with two baskets in crunch time. Randle made a jumper with 2:54 to go to extend their lead against the Washington Wizards to 96-91. He also made a stepback jump shot with 29.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give them a six-point cushion, 100-94.
Hit: Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards)
Rui Hachimura struggled to score in Tuesday’s game versus the New York Knicks, but tonight was a different story. The sophomore forward was one of the few bright spots for the Washington Wizards.
Hachimura shot 9 of 16 from the field and 2 of 6 from beyond the arc for 21 points. The Wizards’ big lead was mostly thanks to him, Garrison Matthews and Raul Neto. The 6-foot-8 forward was active at both ends of the floor and was a beast on the boards as he hauled down nine rebounds.
With his shot finding the bottom of the net regularly, it was baffling how his Washington Wizards teammates, particularly Russell Westbrook, turned away and stopped looking for him late in the game. At other times, the Wizards just weren’t aggressive enough and weren’t playing smart enough to get him the ball.
Flop: Russell Westbrook (Washington Wizards)
Russell Westbrook played two different games tonight. In the first half, the Washington Wizards guard played like an MVP, blocking three enemy missiles and grabbing 11 rebounds to go along with nine points and five assists. Everything was going right for him until the second half came.
Westbrook was a train wreck. He shot a horrendous 3 of 15 from the field and 0 of 5 from the floor. There were uncontested shots that just didn’t fall through.
Though he ended up with nine assists on his ledger, his poor shot selection eventually doomed the Washington Wizards.
Hit: Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks)
Immanuel Quickley proved once again that he is one of the top rookies this season. Quickley was the only player to make a three for the New York Knicks in the first half, and his super speed left his opponents in the dust.
As lethargic as the New York Knicks were for much of the game, no one can say the same about Quickley. He scored 16 points, including a timely three-pointer with 4:12 to go in the fourth quarter, to give his team their first lead of the game, 94-91.
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