Knicks with Reduced Injuries Lose Again. NY 92 New Orleans 115

The Knicks lost 115-92 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night as a result of more injuries, including the addition of Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein to the injured list. This left NY without five starters, and they lacked the strength to overcome New Orleans in the last game of a back-to-back.

The Knicks battled valiantly; although it was tied at the half, New Orleans had a 10-point advantage in the third quarter and easily won.

Josh Hart largely restrained Zion Williamson, and Jericho Sims guarded Brandon Ingram quite well, but Trey Murphy III, Hubert Jones, and the New Orleans bench players Matt Ryan and Jeremaih Robinson-Earl—who went a combined 13-19 from three points—were the players that killed the Knicks.

The annihilated Knicks suffered their fifth defeat in six games. Along with Julius Randle (dislocated shoulder), OG Anunoby (elbow surgery), Mitchell Robinson (broken ankle), and Brunson (sprained neck), Hartenstein was also out.

When asked how the Knicks lost, coach Tom Thibodeau responded, “The start of the third.” “We continued to fight. had a chance in the fourth but was unsuccessful. Everyone offered their all. We were aware that we would need to make volume 3 in order to have a shot.

“We missed a couple of wide-open shots at the beginning of the third, which caused us to not make the necessary transition,” Thibs continued.

New York drops from 35 to 24. Los Angeles gets better to 35–24.

1. The Knicks played hard; the halftime score was close.

The starting lineup for the Knicks included Miles McBride at the point, Josh Hart at small forward protecting Zion, Donte DiVincenzo at shooting guard, and Jericho Sims at center and power forward.

Through the first half, NY played with intensity and fairness against New Orleans.

• Josh Hart was doing a job on Zion Williamson defensively — Zion was not able to get going. And on the other end Hart had his jumper going — both from midrange and from 3. Hart also aggressively drove to the rim all night putting pressure on the D.

Hart had an amazing game but looking at the box score — he had 15 points on 6-15 shooting, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals — yet had a -22 which shows you plus/minus can be garbage some nights.

Zion is playing like Larry “Grand Ma Ma” Johnson after the back issues. Powerful, smooth, skilled — not much above-the-rim action anymore, but efficient. He had 21 points on 7-15 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in 29 minutes — although on the block he blasted Hart in the face and caused a bloody nose but no foul called.

• Donte DiVincenzo also played at a frenetic pace with intense defense — his quick hands getting into ballhandlers causing steals, and then on offense kept firing up 3’s as part of the Knicks game plan. DiVincenzo was 8-21 (7-18 from 3) for 23 points and 2 steals.

• Bogan Bogdanovic helped the offense with 6-14 shooting (4-10 from 3) for 20 points but turned the ball over a number of times and the D wasn’t great — part of the reason why New Orleans got off the 3’s.
• Jericho Sims played excellent defense — patrolling the interior, guarding Brandon Ingram, and helping out with Zion.