New York Knicks: Who stepped up against the OKC Thunder on Dec. 16?

Ron Baker

Ron Baker doesn’t always fill the box score, but he’s the very definition of a glue guy. He’s earned his coaching staff and teammates’ respect by fighting on defense, playing unselfishly on offense, and consistently ending up in the right place at the right time.

For a second consecutive game and the third time in four outings, Baker silenced his critics with the type of performance that the New York Knicks desperately needed.

Baker finished the win over the Oklahoma City Thunder with a season-high 11 points in just 18 minutes of court time. He shot 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range, continuing what’s been a resurgent season as a shooter.

Baker, who was known as a high-quality three-point shooter in college but struggled to shoot as a rookie, is now 9-of-16 from distance in 11 games played in 2017-18.

Baker added two assists, one rebound, and a pair of steals to his well-rounded stat line. He thrived both with and without the ball, and hounded opposing ball-handlers with his unrelenting motor and linebacker build at a muscular 6’4″ and 220 pounds.

Baker is cut from the same cloth as Lance Thomas in the sense that he won’t always produce big numbers, but consistently makes a positive impact on the game.