After losing an embarrassing game to the Chicago Bulls, the New York Knicks bounced back to defeat the Atlanta Hawks. Who stepped up for the Knicks?
The New York Knicks suffered one of the worst losses in recent franchise history on Saturday, Dec. 9. With a chance to exorcise their road demons against the worst team in the NBA, the Knicks posted a dud in every sense of the word.
On Sunday, Dec. 10, New York received an opportunity to redeem itself against the second-worst team in the Association—an opportunity it successfully capitalized on.
New York improved to 13-13 with the type of win that the franchise has been needing for quite some time. This game was never going to be easy, as the Knicks’ road woes damaged morale on Saturday, and the Atlanta game had a storyline of its own.
New York lost a lopsided game to the Hawks the last time the two teams met, giving it even more reason to step up and achieve a measure of vengeance.
The game was a fight until the very end, with the Knicks and Hawks trading clutch baskets throughout the fourth quarter. It was a physical encounter that saw both teams get to the line at least 30 times, with neither moving the ball especially well.
The question is: Who stepped up for Jeff Hornacek’s New York Knicks during the 111-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks?