Knicks 122, Wizards 103: “Marcus Smart is now Kevin Durant lol”

The Knicks nearly squander a 33-point lead to Smart and the Wizards.

With Cameron Payne running the point in the first quarter and rookie Tyler Kolek taking the reins in the second, the New York Knicks (44-26) built a 25-point lead behind sharp ball movement, attentive defense, and a 20-point second quarter from Mikal Bridges. The Washington Wizards’ (15-55) rookies fumbled, Jordan Poole bungled, and the club committed nine turnovers while shooting just 37%, handing New York a 66–41 halftime cushion. The Knicks stormed out of halftime, building a 33-point lead before unraveling as Marcus Smart led a furious Wizards rally that cut it to four early in the fourth. Washington outscored New York 42–13 during that worrisome collapse, but the Knicks finally got serious and took the win, 122-103.

Quoth SwissCheez: “Marcus Smart is now Kevin Durant lol.” For a few minutes there, he sure seemed like it. The vet scored 17 points off the bench and was the fireplug behind Washington’s second-half rally. Poole scored the most points for the visitors, 25, but as usual, his stats are zero-calorie.

For New York, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a 31-point, 11-board double-double; Bridges scored 27 points—nearly all of them in the second quarter; OG Anunoby collected 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting; Josh Hart grabbed 12 rebounds and nine points; and Payne recorded 13 points, seven assists, and just one turnover.

Hat’s off to rookie Tyler Kolek, recording a career-high eight assists and no turnovers in 18 minutes. He was at the helm when the Knicks hit the gas in the second quarter, and he made sweet music with Bridges.

Not exactly a reassuring victory, but a win’s a win.

First Half

With Miles McBride sidelined by a groin injury, the Knicks let veteran Cameron Payne 0run the show—and he delivered, scoring 10 points and four assists in the first period. Meanwhile, Washington rolled out a rookie-heavy lineup featuring Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Bub Carrington, and the greenhorns clanked nine of their first ten threes. New York capitalized with a crisp offensive effort: OG Anunoby got the scoring going from deep, and Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart followed with an equitable distribution of buckets.

Washington’s high-scorer, Jordan ‘That Fool’ Poole couldn’t find his footing, coughing up a turnover, committing a foul, and getting tagged for goaltending. Off New York’s bench, Mitchell Robinson checked in around the 4:30 mark and immediately swatted back Sarr at the rim. By the buzzer, New York led 31–21, having shot 50% overall despite going just 4-for-13 from three.

Knicks’ rookie Tyler Kolek steered the offense for the entire second quarter. His defense remains a work in progress, but he committed three thefts and dished a career-high seven dimes (no turnovers) as the Knicks went ahead by 25. On a blistering run, Bridges swished four consecutive triples, plus a mid-range dagger, to score 14 straight Knicks points and 20 in the quarter. The chemistry between Kolek and Bridges made us drool, with the two guards slicing up the Wizards’ defense. More of this, please.

Washington generously helped New York’s cause by turning the ball over nine times and shooting 37% from the field in the half. By halftime, New York sat pretty, 66-41. Bridges led all scorers with his 25; George topped Washington’s box score with 13.

Second Half

Thibs sent Payne out to start the half. In a snap, the Wizards chucked the ball over twice, and New York went up by 33. Adding to the fun, Anunoby swished his fourth three-pointer, going perfect from deep, and Towns took Sarr to the woodshed. And then came the inevitable dip.

Washington showed signs of life—AJ Johnson splashed a pull-up three, George threw down a dunk, and Poole made a shot—and their 11 unanswered points cut their deficit to 20 with 4:30 on the clock. The differential hung around there and, with the Knicks spinning their wheels, Thibs deployed Kolek for the last two minutes of the quarter.

Here the neophyte takes his lumps in the lane for an And-1:

Marcus Smart and Colby Jones combined to cut the score to 92-76 heading into the final frame. Smart continued his inspired play, sparking a 7-0 run to bring the differential to nine less than two minutes into Q4. Thibs called a timeout and sent Payne back in; the veteran proceeded to surrender a pick-six and the lead was seven. Another Knicks brick—Bridges, having gone completely cold in the second half—became a Smart triple. the lead was four.

During this sorry second-half stretch, Washington outscored New York 42-13. Finally, at last, hallelujah, the Knicks got a few stops, went on a 15-2 run, and dampened the visitors’ momentum with five minutes left. New York’s offense was still a lot of one-and-dones, so a win didn’t feel certain until three-ish minutes to go, when Wizards’ coach Brian Keefe remembered that the franchise wants Cooper Flagg and subbed in some bench scrubs. Thibs left Towns in on principle, of course, until the two minute mark.

Up Next

The Mavericks of Dallas visit the World’s Most Famous Arena on Tuesday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

Box Score