New York Knicks: Who stepped up with Kristaps Porzingis absent?
With Kristaps Porzingis sidelined, the supporting cast had a chance to establish themselves. Who stepped up for the New York Knicks against the Orlando Magic?
Over the course of the first 10 games of the 2017-18 NBA regular season, Kristaps Porzingis has played at a superstar-caliber level. Entering Wednesday, Nov. 8, he ranked No. 2 in the NBA in points per game, No. 3 in blocks per game, and had led the New York Knicks to a 6-4 record.
On Nov. 8, however, New York was forced to play without its franchise player during a road game against the Orlando Magic—a game that ended with a 112-99 Knicks loss.
27. Final. 112. 38. 99
A loss is rarely ideal, but New York remains above .500 at 6-5.
New York dished out 26 assists, but its undoing was its inability to take care of the ball. It committed 23 turnovers, thus gifting the Magic additional opportunities to put points on the board—a mistake that a Porzingis-less Knick team could ill afford to make.
With Porzingis sidelined by a sprained ankle and an elbow contusion, however, the Knicks received something of a blessing in disguise.
New York’s supporting cast became featured players, as Jeff Hornacek stayed true to his usual rotation for a vast majority of the game. That provided a platform for statements to be made and opportunities to be capitalized on.
With Kristaps Porzingis sidelined, a number of New York Knicks players turned in quality performances against the Orlando Magic. Who were they?