Player grades for the Knicks after beating the Blazers on Clyde’s birthday

No Brunson, no problem: Knicks torch Blazers at MSG

The New York Knicks rolled to a 110-93 win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night, delivering a statement victory at Madison Square Garden on Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s 80th birthday. With Jalen Brunson still sidelined, the Knicks leaned on a balanced attack and stifling second-half defense to take control. The Garden crowd got to celebrate a legend—and a blowout win. Let’s hand out some grades.

OG Anunoby: A+

With Jalen Brunson out, OG continues to step up. The D in 3&D stands for defense, but could as easily be dominant, as he dropped 28 on 11-of-16 shooting, grabbed seven boards and dished two dimes. On the defensive end, he stole the ball thrice, blocked it twice, and disrupted Portland’s offensive flow in innumerable ways. That third-quarter dunk? A momentum-changer that gave the Knicks their first lead since the second quarter.

Mikal Bridges: A+

Bridges matched Anunoby’s 28 points and was instrumental in the second half, scoring 21 of his points after halftime. He shot 12-of-22 from the field and, with the team relying on back-up point guards, he added seven assists. Mikal’s ability to take over offensively in critical moments was crucial to the Knicks’ dominant second-half performance. How dominant? They held the Blazers to just 35 points after intermission.

Josh Hart: A

Hart just missed his tenth triple double of the season—he filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. His versatility and playmaking helped stabilize the team; his defensive energy and rebounding helped to lock down the win. So why not an A+? Well, this:

Karl-Anthony Towns: B

Towns had an off-night on the scoring end, shooting just 4-of-13 for 10 points. Finding other ways to contribute, he logged 11 rebounds and limited Portland’s starting center, Donovan Clingan, to just two points.

Delon Wright: B-

Wright is emerging as a potential threat to Cameron Payne’s place in the rotation. Starting for the short-handed Knickerbockers, Wright chipped in seven points, four rebounds, and two assists on efficient shooting (3-of-6) in 35 minutes. While not a mind-blowing performance, he played solid defense, with two blocks and steals. Not bad for a mid-season pick-up who wasn’t expected to play anything other than garbage time this season.

Bench Contributions: B+

Mithcell Robinson was a +19 in his 14 minutes, logging four rebounds and two swats; he would earn higher marks if not for his two turnovers and only 14 minutes of play. Landry Shamet—who knew? He was a team-high +22, and rang up three three’s en route to 11 points. Toss in four rebounds and a steal, and we can call those quality minutes. Precious Achiuwa posted a neat statline of 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and took three boards. Finally, Tyler Kolek was a +9 in his 14 minutes, with three assists, two rebounds, and a block. His defense effort was energetic and purposeful, which bodes well for his future with the team.

Overall, the Knicks bench outscored Portland’s 23-4, and that’s an uncommon feat around these parts. Next up: Philadelphia comes to town tomorrow night. See you then.