Ron Baker
The New York Knicks wouldn’t have defeated the Milwaukee Bucks without the splendid efforts of Ron Baker. Though the statistics may not display it, he was the difference between the Knicks snapping the losing streak and traveling to Indiana upset.
Baker was the stabilizing force for a Knicks team that was in dire need of a victory and trending towards another loss.
After sitting for the first three quarters, Baker played all 12 minutes during the fourth. He posted six points, four assists, and two rebounds. In the process, he made a clutch layup and converted all four of his free throw attempts, including the two that sealed the victory.
Baker also made a number of vital defensive plays as he reinvigorated a Knicks team that trailed by 13 points entering the fourth quarter and won by five.
Ron Baker scored 6 points and was a plus-18 in 12 minutes for Knicks.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 7, 2017
He had played a total of 2:59 in Knicks' last 8 games
Some may frown upon the validity of +/- as a valued statistic, but there’s occasionally legitimate value in it. For Baker, it’s telling that he was a +18 in a game that the Knicks won by five points and trailed by 13 before he took the court.
With no hyperbole whatsoever, Baker may have just saved the Knicks’ season and provided a temporary feeling of stability.