In Friday’s post-Thanksgiving matchup, who stepped up for the New York Knicks against the New Orleans Pelicans?
The New York Knicks had not won consecutive games in 2018-19. Multi-game losing streaks plagued them through the season’s first month, but Wednesday’s surprise win over the Boston Celtics and a hard-fought matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans gave them back-to-back victories.
This gave the Knicks a 6-14 mark at the 20-game checkpoint. It’s about one-quarter of the season, there’s no longer a small sample size to evaluate.
On Friday, there was plenty to analyze, as well. Behind strong performances from the starting lineup, sans Tim Hardaway Jr.’s five points, it pushed them to a 114-109 win.
Who were the stars of the game, though? Let’s take a look:
Noah Vonleh
Stat Line: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 5-for-10 shooting, 4-for-7 on three-pointers
Before the game, New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale called Noah Vonleh the team’s “most complete player,” due to his ability to impact all parts of the game. Whether it’s three-point shooting, defending each position or his ability to run the floor.
From the start, Vonleh proved Fizdale’s words well. He opened the first quarter with nine points and three rebounds, including a trio of three-pointers — a season-high.
Vonleh finished with four outside shots, which delivered one-third of New York’s three-point shooting for the night, en route to a 36.4 percent clip.
.@RebeccaHaarlow calls this three for @NoahVonleh! #Knicks pic.twitter.com/OUNINGBx5n
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) November 24, 2018
The fourth-year man’s double-double wasn’t the only one, either, as Enes Kanter had 17 points and 12 rebounds of his own.
As this starting lineup sticks, there’s ample room for Vonleh to grow. It has the chance to become his best NBA season since arriving in 2014. He never found proper footing with the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls or Portland Trail Blazers, but seems comfortable in this role, on a bigger stage.
What will Vonleh do next? He’s on a streak of double-doubles and three-point makes and will look to capitalize on it, but against a Memphis Grizzlies defense that allows a league-low 103.1 points per game.