Justin Holiday
It’s not hard to see why Justin Holiday has carved out a consistent role in Jeff Hornacek’s rotation. The stars may garner the lion’s share of the praise, but Holiday seems to make a critical play in the fourth quarter of every New York Knicks win.
The 118-112 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers was no exception, as Holiday started out hot and then saved New York from a fourth quarter collapse.
The Knicks pulled ahead for an 86-80 lead in the fourth quarter, but proceeded to allow Los Angeles to score seven consecutive points. With New York now trailing 86-87 and the Lakers gaining momentum, Holiday saved his team.
Holiday turned a broken possession into a trip to the free throw line, where he proceeded to give the Knicks an 88-87 lead—and New York never trailed again.
Overall, Holiday contributed nine points, three rebounds, and a steal in 16 minutes of action. He shot 3-of-6 from the field, made a 3-point field goal, went 2-of-3 at the free throw line, and maintained a high level of defensive intensity.
For all that he did on defense, one of the primary keys to the Knicks winning was Holiday bailing out the offense and restoring order to the game.