The New York Knicks broke their six-game losing streak against the Boston Celtics, 117-109. Who stepped up before Thanksgiving?
After six consecutive losses, and on the second half of a back-to-back before Thanksgiving, the New York Knicks upset the Boston Celtics on the road, 117-109. A wire to wire win brought positives for one night, despite the struggles of the season’s first month.
This brought the Knicks to a 5-14 record. Near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, it’s representative of how this developmental year has transpired.
However, glimpses of growth showed, especially from the 20-to-23-year-old players that came off the bench.
Who shined in this win and propelled New York to victory? Let’s take a look:
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Stat Line: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 8-for-19 shooting, 4-for-7 on three-pointers, 7 turnovers
Tim Hardaway Jr., as always, finished near the top of the stat sheet for the New York Knicks. His 21 points were second on the team, along with four rebounds and four assists — further displaying his playmaking ability.
Hardaway also sunk four three-pointers on seven attempts, which matched Trey Burke for the game-high. This also went towards New York’s 50 percent shooting from behind the arc on 30 attempts.
There was trouble with ball-handling, aside from the four assists. Hardaway turned it over seven times, which easily became a season-high.
Not a poor defensive night for the potential All-Star, either. No one in the Celtics backcourt shot above 40 percent. Indicative of Hardaway or not, it wasn’t the usual torching, like what happened via CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard in Tuesday’s loss.
Hardaway’s next challenge is the New Orleans Pelicans backcourt. He must combat Jrue Holiday‘s 24 points from the previous matchup and likely work on E’Twaun Moore.
Plus, there’s the potential for a scoring battle between him and Anthony Davis, which the all-pro won earlier this month, 43-30.