New York Knicks: Who stepped up in preseason win over Wizards?

Marcus Morris

Stats: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 6-for-12 shooting, 3-for-4 on three-pointers

For 24 minutes and 13 seconds, Marcus Morris was the best player on the floor, and not just for the New York Knicks. 17 points and seven rebounds in just 18 minutes set him up for a huge night, as this all happened in the first half.

Unfortunately for Morris, his night ended prematurely due to the actions of the Washington Wizards’ Justin Anderson.

Early in the third quarter, Anderson was placed on Morris. They squared up, traded some verbiage and got physical on their first possession against each other; Morris, holding the ball, swung his elbows and barely missed Anderson’s face. Moments later, the Knicks’ new forward smacked the ball on Anderson’s head.

One referee review later, Morris received a Flagrant 2 and automatic ejection.

While a disappointing end to the night, the veteran forward stepped up on those 12 shot attempts. He was the offensive leader when RJ Barrett slumped in the first half and off Julius Randle’s 11 points on 5-for-12 shooting. This will not happen every night, but Morris had 26 games of at least 17 points with the Boston Celtics in 2018-19, so he is capable of being a contributing producer.

The speculation now turns to Morris potentially missing regular-season games. This Flagrant 2 could warrant a suspension, and that will be determined whenever the NBA reviews the tape.