New York Knicks: Who stepped up against the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 6?

Kristaps Porzingis

Over the course of the first three quarters, New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis struggled to get anything going. It was an expected development, as Porzingis had missed the previous two games with an ankle injury and an illness.

Thankfully, when the game became close in the fourth quarter, Porzingis stepped up by filling his most critical role: The closer.

Porzingis shot just 8-of-19 from the field, but he took over on both ends of the court during the fourth quarter. He scored seven of his 18 points in the final 3:24 of the fourth quarter, and came up with a critical block in transition during that same stretch.

Between his presence on defense and his clutch shooting on the other end of the floor, Porzingis more than redeemed himself for his slow start.

It was expected that Porzingis would struggle during his first game back from his injury-related absences. When the Knicks needed him to step up and fill his role as the closer, however, it was almost as though the injury bug was flushed out.

It won’t be often that the supporting cast leads the Knicks through the first three quarters, but if Porzingis helps his team commit to defense on a nightly basis, this result may not be uncommon.