Sasha Vujacic is alive! He was resurrected in Phoenix, as he started in place of Arron Afflalo Wednesday night, who is suffering from a strained right abdominal muscle.
The New York Knicks also played without Lance Thomas for the second consecutive game, hurting himself in the previous game’s warm-up routine.
Back to Vujacic because in the 66th game of the 2015-2016 season, it was the Sasha Vujacic show!
Did you know that it has been OVER a month since Vujacic has made a field goal. The last time Vujacic converted on a field goal attempt was February 7, 2016! Since that time, he has gone 0-for-9 from the field and received four coach’s decision DNPs…
Vujacic got it going right from tip-off, scoring the first basket for New York. Vujacic scored nine of his season high 23 points in the opening period, highlighted by a buzzer-beater to finish the first quarter.
Review (Barnaky): if Vujacic’s made FG was released before time exp. in Q1 #NYKatPHX. Ruling: Upheld, shot counts. https://t.co/IZQ9PBPC91
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) March 10, 2016
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Vujacic was perfect for nearly the whole game but missed a meaningless three-pointer late in third quarter to finish the game 7-for-8 from the field. Vujacic for the first time as a Knick, lived up to his “the machine” nickname, connecting on six three-pointers Wednesday night! This total matched his career high three-pointers made in a single game. Vujacic was also only two points shy of matching his career high in points.
Wednesday night’s game was basically the complete opposite of what occurred Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets, where the Knicks played absolutely no defense. Allowing a parade line to the rim for layups and dunks. Allowing 62 points in the paint by the Nuggets. Against the Suns, the script flipped and it was the opposing team that was playing absolutely no defense.
New York led by as many as 27 points in the first half, and the lead ballooned to as much as 36 points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks continued to pour it on in the final period.
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Which I must say, was the one critic in Wednesday night’s game if I had to nitpick. For some reason in a blowout game interim head coach Kurt Rambis decided it was a good idea to still have the Knicks prized rookie Kristaps Porzingis still in the game, playing garbage minutes… WHAT IF HE HAD GOTTEN HURT!? I did not understand why he was inserted back into the game at all… playing 5.5 meaningless minutes in the fourth quarter…
Also… Rambis thought it would be a good idea to put the 34 year-old Jose Calderon out there in garbage time as well… If this is him secretly trying to get him injured so that he does not need to trot out a walking zombie every night, then yeah that was a good idea, if not… seriously… WTF!
Although, keeping Calderon out there did result in a sick half-court alley opp dunk by Derrick Williams early in the fourth quarter. Calderon finished the game with 12 assists, his first double-double of the season as he also scored ten points Wednesday night.
.@DWXXIII ✈️ for another huge dunk in the 4Q! #Knicks 114 Suns 82. #NYKvsPHX pic.twitter.com/gKCuKOeQRh
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 10, 2016
Williams by the way was the one pouring it on the helpless Suns in the fourth quarter, scoring all 18 of his points in the final period. D-Will freely did whatever he wanted out there… dunks, three-pointers… literally no one was guarding him…
REPLAY: @DWXXIII to the top floor for the smash! #NYKvsPHX pic.twitter.com/52kCUJEUAA
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 10, 2016
Carmelo Anthony also had himself a night to remember, as he passed “Clyde the Glide”Drexler in the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Anthony now has claimed the 29th spot on the all-time scoring list with his performance Wednesday night. Anthony finished the game with 23 points and 7 rebounds.
It was a special night for Anthony, but he will no doubt move further up the scoring list. The night belonged solely to one person, and one person only, Sasha Vujacic. Which interestingly enough, it was his scrappy (annoying) defense that won him the starting job with Afflalo’s injury as per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Rambis says he's starting Sasha Vujacic to keep bench continuity and he's "somebody who plays harassing defense, and knows our offense."
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) March 10, 2016
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Hopefully Vujacic can continue to play well going forward. No one can expect him to have a repeat performance, but hopefully he can maintain being a positive influence on the team. And the Knicks are going to need it, as they will travel to the Staple Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night.