New York Knicks: Who stepped up in win against Grizzlies?

With a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the New York Knicks won their third straight game. Who stepped up along the way?

The New York Knicks may face an uphill battle throughout the 2018-19 season, but the past three games have provided positives. Starting with victories over the Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans, it was their first multi-game winning streak of this campaign.

On Sunday, New York faced maybe its biggest test yet against the Memphis Grizzlies, who sat near the top of the Western Conference. Their “Grit and Grind” style slows teams down to their pace, resulting in the fewest points allowed per game.

Well, for one night, the Knicks got ahead of Memphis and won, 103-98. It was also head coach David Fizdale’s return to the FedExForum, after the Grizzlies fired him early in 2017-18.

In this narrow win, who rose to the occasion to give Fizdale this satisfactory revenge game? Let’s take a look:

Emmanuel Mudiay

Stat Line: 17 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5-for-12 shooting, 2-for-4 on three-pointers, 4-for-4 on free throws

Once again, the New York Knicks found offensive reliability from Emmanuel Mudiay. Not on an exceptionally high rate shooting the basketball, but his 17 points were third on the team and he led with four assists.

The exclamation point came in the fourth quarter, when Mudiay posterized Garrett Temple and threw down this emphatic slam to draw a foul.

That play was indicative of the resurgent Mudiay, who has been a revelation for the Knicks at point guard. The same for Trey Burke, who has assumed a main bench role, after finding his way out of the rotation.

There’s no reason to think this changes anytime soon. Even if the Knicks lose the next game or two, this starting group became the first to win back-to-back matchups. That means more Mudiay at point guard, Noah Vonleh at power forward and Enes Kanter at center.

Can Mudiay keep this up? It’s the best stretch of his career, with this as his fourth year. His struggles with the Denver Nuggets carried past the midseason trade with the Knicks, but he looks like a different player under Fizdale.

With this winning streak allowing longevity, the next few games should prove if Mudiay sticks as the point guard for not just December’s opening week, but a chunk of the season.