The New York Knicks fell to the Washington Wizards after another big night at Madison Square Garden from John Wall.
- Washington Wizards 106 (48-31)
- New York Knicks 103 (30-49)
- NBA, Final, Box Score
- Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, New York
The New York Knicks and their short-handed backcourt were bound to struggle against John Wall and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards. Unsigned rookie Ron Baker was lit up by veteran All-Star Wall, and Beal torched Courtney Lee.
Wall (24 points, 8 assists, 9-15 FG) has always played big at Madison Square Garden. In 11 games he’s averaged 20.6 points 8.7 assists on 47.6 percent shooting.
Beal and Wall were outstanding in the clutch. They scored 19 of the Wizard’s 24 fourth quarter points and shot a combined 60.0 percent while the rest of the team only attempted five shots in the final period.
Baker, an undrafted rookie, was never supposed to be in this position anyway. When Derrick Rose inevitably went down, it was Brandon Jennings who was meant to take his spot.
When the season turned away from any playoff hopes for the Knicks Jennings’ contract was bought out, and he went to the Wizards. He might not have had a big game on Thursday, but the backup had revenge against his former team.
With Kristaps Porzingis sitting due to back issues, Carmelo Anthony took on the full scoring burden. Anthony attempted to do too much and shot 7 of 19 from the field for just 23 points.
Willy Hernangomez had one of the worst games of his young career going for 13 points on 5 of 15 shooting. He looked completely overmatched on defense against Marcin Gortat. The veteran went 7 for 7 and posted 16 points.
Key Stat
The Wizards had 27 fast break points to the Knicks seven. According to NBA.com, Wall and Beal were responsible for 16 fast break points on their own.
Key Player
Justin Holiday was excellent. He had 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting. Despite all the losing, he’s remained consistent since the All-Star break.
ESNY’s Robby Sabo wrote about Jennings’ comments on the Melo saga with Phil Jackson. Jennings claimed that Anthony had “a lot of pressure on him” and that it “took a toll on the team.”
Jennings had a lot to say about the Knicks, but he pointed out something about the fans too. According to ESPN’s Ian Begley, the typically candid veteran stated that the crowd at Madison Square Garden was “dead” on Thursday night.
ESNY’s Robbie Stratakos wrote about what a great fit Carmelo would be with the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s not like he fits in New York anymore, right?
