New York Knicks: Returning to normalcy as Blazers dominate second half

The New York Knicks had their moment of glory for one night, but a second-half domination from the Portland Trail Blazers blew this game open.

Taking advantage of a LeBron James-less Los Angles Lakers, the New York Knicks found their first win of 2019 and just their 10th of the season. Everything went well for one night, until they ran into a healthy Portland Trail Blazers squad, losing 111-101.

Portland had little issue shooting the ball throughout the night, but Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined to shoot 12-for-31, although the former had nine assists. Instead, it was behind efficient nights from everyone off the bench, as no one shot below 50 percent.

Jusuf Nurkic worked the Knicks below the rim, as well, with 20 points and seven rebounds in fewer than 20 minutes. With Luke Kornet and Enes Kanter at center, New York hardly has elite rim protectors to protect the paint.

For a time, this game was close. The Knicks fought to stay one point behind at the half, but they failed to keep up with the Blazers once the third quarter started, resulting in a 32-23 12-minute span that decided the game.

Flipping to the other side of the ball, the Knicks had four players in double-figures, including 14 points from Mario Hezonja in 30 minutes — a productive follow-up from his surprise return to the rotation in Los Angeles. Kanter even delivered another double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

The highlight, though, was Noah Vonleh‘s return to Portland, where he played for parts of three seasons. He had 16 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and a trio of three-pointers. It was his usual, consistent performance that only increases his value by the day, whether via trade or free agency in July.

It was an unspectacular night, though, for the top scorers, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kevin Knox. They combined for 13 points and three made shots. Yikes. Let’s move to some smaller notes:

• No Courtney Lee or Lance Thomas. They remain on the outside looking in of the rotation, and there’s no clear-cut spot for them to re-enter, barring another injury.
• Speaking of that, Mitchell Robinson and Frank Ntilikina did not play due to their respective ailments. It was Robinson’s 10th missed game and Ntilikina’s first.
• Trey Burke had a quiet 10 points in 14 minutes, but on just 3-for-9 shooting. He benefits from Ntilikina’s absence, but once healthy, it would not be a surprise to see another change.
• Once upon a time, Damyean Dotson was the Knicks’ most consistent player. Entering this game, he averaged just 4.8 points on 27.3 percent shooting in his last six games. He went 2-for-4 on Monday, but for just five points.
• Overall, a weak shooting night for the Knicks. They failed to produce from the field and hit just 30.4 percent from behind the arc. Against sharp-shooting teams like Portland, that will not work.

There are few harder tasks than facing the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The New York Knicks have their date in fewer than 24 hours on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 10:30 p.m. ET.