New York Knicks phenom Kristaps Porzingis earned his first career All-Star Game selection in 2017-18. What were the games that defined his season?
Injury aside, the 2017-18 regular season was a resounding success for New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis. At 22 years of age, he established himself as an elite rim protector, a dynamic scorer, and a legitimate franchise player.
That all culminated in Porzingis receiving his first career All-Star Game selection—the first Knick other than Carmelo Anthony to do so since Tyson Chandler in 2013.
Porzingis finished the 2017-18 campaign with averages of 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.9 three-point field goals made per game. He shot a career-best 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and ranked No. 3 in the NBA in points via post ups per game.
Porzingis became the first player in NBA history to appear in at least 40 games and average at least 20.0 points, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 three-point field goal made per contest.
As the 22-year-old endures an offseason of rehabilitation, it’s important not to lose sight of all the progress he’s made. He ranked No. 1 in the NBA in both blocks per game and opponent field goal percentage at the rim, and set a new career-high in points per game.
The question is: What were the five best performances that New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis put forth during the 2017-18 regular season?
Honorable Mention: Destroying The Kings
It didn’t take long at all for Kristaps Porzingis to put the Sacramento Kings away mid-November. Despite playing just 27 minutes, Porzingis ended the game before there could even be an outcome worth pondering.
It may not have been the most statistically overwhelming game you’ve ever seen, but you’d be hard-pressed to find many better decimations of a team than this.
Porzingis finished the win over the Kings with 34 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in his 27 minutes of action. He shot 11-of-21 from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-9 from the free throw line.
The most impressive statistic of all, however, was that he recorded a +/- of +31 in just 27 minutes of action—a testament to his unequivocal dominance.
Porzingis scored 10 of his 34 points in the third quarter, when the Knicks put the Kings away. He was methodical, picking his spots from all over the court and physically overwhelming the Kings on both ends of the floor.
It may not have cracked the top five, but Porzingis displayed just how much of a force he can be as a scorer with his tenacious showing against the Kings.
5. Out-Dueling Davis And Cousins
With the New York Knicks inching closer to disaster, Kristaps Porzingis was tasked with matching up against DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, It was a tall task, to say the least, as Cousins and Davis are both All-NBA big men.
What Porzingis managed to do in the clutch, however, was step up with a spectacular showing that proved he has the tools to become a truly elite player.
Cousins and Davis combined for 60 points and 28 rebounds, but it was Porzingis who got the last laugh. He poured in 30 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals, producing a +/- of +7 in a two-point win.
Porzingis scored 11 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, including a personal seven-point run during the final minute-and-a-half of the game.
It was a tremendous display by a player who had a chance to send a message against two of the best big men in the NBA. Rather than wilting under the pressure, he stepped up by outplaying his All-NBA opponents in the quarter that mattered most.
Porzingis offered no shortage of memories in 2017-18, but against the Pelicans, he proved that he could go toe-to-toe with elite talent and come out on top.
4. Outplaying Jokic
A debate will likely rage until the end of their respective careers about which player is better: Kristaps Porzingis or Nikola Jokic? Both players are stars in their own right, but as European big men, their careers will be forever intertwined—whether fair or foul.
The debate still rages, but even if for one night only, Porzingis proved that he’s the superior player with a sensational showing against Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic certainly played well, posting 28 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one block, and a steal. Porzingis was simply better, as he matched Jokic shot-for-shot until he proved to be too much for any member of the Nuggets to handle.
Porzingis finished the shootout with his budding rival by recording 38 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in 34 minutes of statement basketball.
Porzingis shot 15-of-24 from the field, 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line in a game where everything seemed to be working for him. He scored 10 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter alone, including four clutch free throws to answer a Jokic three.
Porzingis seems to get up for the biggest of moments, and against Jokic and the Nuggets, he did exactly that for a Knicks team that was viewed as a heavy underdog.
3. Torching The Suns
In 2016-17, the turning point of the season was a heartbreaking loss to the Phoenix Suns. With a chance to get a win for their head coach against his former team, the New York Knicks blew multiple chances to put the Suns away and lost a devastating overtime encounter.
With a shot at revenge in 2017-18, Kristaps Porzingis dominated Phoenix and its agitator, Marquese Chriss, en route to a riveting Knicks victory.
Porzingis continued his stretch of MVP-caliber performances with 37 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in a 120-107 win over the Suns. That includes the eight points he scored in the fourth quarter to put Phoenix away.
Following the performance, current Suns center and former Knicks star Tyson Chandler offered the highest of praise for Porzingis.
Per ESPN:
"“Porzingis is special. He has a chance to be the best player in this league,” said Suns center Tyson Chandler, the former Defensive Player of the Year. “Watching him tonight and seeing what he’s done so far this season, he has a real shot of being the best player in this league.”"
That’s a powerful statement from a 17-year veteran who has contributed in every phase of the game.
There are very few players who can realistically provide elite contributions as both a scorer and a defender. Porzingis undeniably checks those boxes, with an uncanny ability to simultaneously take over as a scorer and protect the paint.
Between the duel with Booker, the praise from Chandler, and his clutch play on both ends of the floor, Porzingis was a force to be reckoned with.
2. Making History Against The Lakers
By his own account, Kristaps Porzingis grew up idolizing Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. While most have compared Porzingis to Dirk Nowitzki, the player whom he actually patterns his offensive game after is The Black Mamba.
Thus, it’s only fitting that arguably the best performance of Porzingis’ career thus far—and the only showing of its kind— came against Bryant’s former team.
Porzingis dominated the Lakers, recording 37 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks, one steal, and an assist in 40 minutes of action. He shot 14-of-26 from the field, buried five of his eight three-point field goal attempts, and went 4-of-5 at the free throw line.
Porzingis scored four points during the final 2:06 of the fourth quarter, added had three critical blocks during the final period of regulation, and put the game away in overtime.
The context of Porzingis’ stellar showing is that it was historic in its statistical nature. It was the first and only time in NBA history that a player has recorded at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, and five three-point field goals made in a single game.
One could easily make a case that this should be the No. 1 game on this list, but even at No. 2, it sits alone in the history of this beautiful league.
1. Dominating A Rival
Of all the great games that Kristaps Porzingis put together in 2017-18, this was unequivocally his best. One could argue for the No. 2 game on this list, but the context of Porzingis’ performance on Sunday, Nov. 5 was the key to it all.
Between the historical significance of the performance and the story behind it, Porzingis put together the best game of his career in a 108-101 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Porzingis finished the win against Indiana with 40 points, eight rebounds, and six blocks in 38 unforgettable minutes. He shot 15-of-24 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe, scoring 15 consecutive points in the second half and assisting the game-tying shot.
At the end of the game, Porzingis became the first Knicks player to record at least 40 points and six blocks in a single game since Patrick Ewing in 1995.
Not only was this the best scoring performance of Porzingis’ career, but it had the backstory that will place it in Knicks lore one day. New York trailed Indiana by 19 points with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the 22-year-old put the team on his back.
Porzingis dominated a bitter rival, set a career-high in scoring, and led the Knicks to an unforgettable comeback victory.
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Of all the great performances that Kristaps Porzingis had in 2017-18, it was this that tops the list from his third season with the New York Knicks.