The New York Knicks contained Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and the rest Portland Trail Blazers, 107-103, to keep their winning streak at home alive. With the victory, they also managed to reach the .500 mark.
Portland’s Shots on Target in the First Frame
The Trailblazers started the game converting on their first four three-pointers of the game. They ended the first 12 minutes of the game shooting 80 percent from downtown and outscored the Knickerbockers 33-28.
Knicks Take Lead in Second Period
After dropping only five points in the first stanza of the game, Kristaps Porzingis scored 12 points and made the Knicks lead by as many as seven. Brandon Jennings came out and sparked the bench by showcasing his playmaking ability with four assists. The Knicks won the frame 32-25 and held a two-point lead at halftime.
Anthony Struggles and Teammates Carry Load
Carmelo Anthony went 2-for-9 from the field in the third quarter. Yet New York was able to remain in the contest with the game tied at 81 heading into the final 12 minutes of regulation. Anthony's scoring drought continued to haunt him in the fourth period and went scoreless.
Lillard, who has made a name for having big scoring fourth quarters, started the period on the bench.
Meanwhile, Derrick Rose and Porzingis made sure their presence was in full effect. Porzingis hit some huge clutch shots in the frame and went for nine points. Rose then made consecutive field goals to give the Knicks a 102-101 lead. With 2:37 left in the game, he continued his excellent play by dishing a pass to the rookie Mindaugas Kuzminskas who hit a three-pointer. Rose sealed the deal by converting on a jumper with 6.8 seconds left.
Top Performers
Porzingis concluded with 31 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double. Rose ended with 18 points and Anthony summed 17. Jennings finished with only four points but tallied 11 assists with no turnovers. Lillard was held to an 8-of-18 shooting night and had 22 points. McCollum scored 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Maurice Harkless added 15 points and Ed Davis had 14.
Quotes
Jennings told the media after the game “I’ve always been a true point guard. I’ve always set the ball to other players.”
Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek had the following to say about Jennings, “He was huge. Brandon Doesn’t have to score to have an impact on the game.”
Coach also commented on his team’s defense and said “It's been better the last six games. We have to transfer this defense when we do go on the road.”
Other Things to Note
-For the Knicks, Joakim Noah (illness) and Lance Thomas (ankle) did not play.
-For the Trail Blazers, Al-Farouq Aminu (calf) and Festus Ezeli (knee) did not play.
-The lead changed hands 20 times and the game was tied 11 times.
-New York went 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
-The Trail Blazers snapped a four-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden. Their last loss had come in March of 2012, just a few months before drafting Lillard.
-Kuzminskas played the entire fourth quarter and achieved a new career-high of 10 points.
Up Next
New York will be back home on Friday, Nov. 25 for a showdown with the Charlotte Hornets. Gametime at 7:30 p.m. E.T.
Portland will have little time to rest as they head to the Quick Loans Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 22 with a meeting against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip-off shortly after 7:10 P.M. EST.