The next stop on the New York Knicks West Coast trip was at Golden State. Despite the Knicks coming off multiple embarrassing loses in a row, they ended their 10-game losing streak.
The Knicks took down the, now, worst team in the league in a overtime, 124-122. The battle of the leagues worst had the Knicks on top and it was nice to finally get a win after that miserable stretch of losses.
Before the game ever started, Knicks fans on Twitter were debating if they should even watch the game. The game being on the West Coast is tough to stay up for, especially the way the Knicks have been playing. However, the die-hards stayed up to watch their team, as bad as they may be.
The only qualm fans will have with this victory is the Knicks blew a 21-point lead. A victory feeling is finally something to be excited about even if it’s one game, but blowing a lead like that should never happen.
Anyway, the Knicks were carried by the brilliant shooting from Marcus Morris and RJ Barrett, both with double-doubles. Barrett was the guy to lean on in the first half then it was Morris in the second half. Morris ended up with 36 points on 10-18 from the field with 5-9 from downtown and 10 boards. Barrett played 46 minutes and had 22 points on 8-16 shooting, 3-5 beyond the arc and 10 boards. He finally came out of his shooting slump after struggling to find his rhythm.
Julius Randle also had a double-double of 24 points on 7-16 shooting, 3-4 from downtown surprisingly and 13 boards. He still won’t stop playing isolation basketball which is the most frustrating thing in the world. But overall, he played well hitting a huge .
The New York Knicks desperately needed this game for the team and interim coach Mike Miller. A win would bring new energy to a team looking for something positive and a new identity.
The New York Knicks looked like a different team. They were upbeat and able to push the ball in transition better then they have in several games. Mainly because of Barrett and Elfrid Payton pushing the pace. There was also more communication then in games past which was lacking under David Fizdale.
The Knicks continue their West Coast in Sacramento on Friday. A winnable game but every game for this team is a battle. If they are to play, like a team, like they did last night there may be hope for this struggling team after all.