The Phoenix Suns handed the New York Knicks their fifth defeat in six games, with a 112-107 win at Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday. The Knicks had a chance to win this one, having managed to tie the game late in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half, but a terrific hustle play by Grayson Allen helped the Suns come away with the win.
Devin Booker impressed for the hosts with 31 points (10-23 FG), three rebounds, eight assists, and one steal. Dillon Brooks had 20 points in the first half and finished with 27 points (8-15 FG), seven rebounds, and five assists, as the Suns improved to 23-15.
Allen only had 10 points (2-10 FG), three rebounds, one assist, and one steal, but made arguably the biggest play of the night. The Knicks looked set to have possession down 106-103 with under 15 seconds remaining, but he managed to tip the ball off Mikal Bridges as it was going out of bounds. Hopes of a comeback win were all but extinguished with that play.
Jalen Brunson led the way for the Knicks with 27 points (9-19 FG), three rebounds, and five assists. Brunson’s co-star Karl-Anthony Towns, meanwhile, had another quiet night offensively, putting up 15 points (5-11 FG), 12 rebounds, and five assists. The Knicks dropped to 24-14 with this defeat and have lost more ground to the Detroit Pistons at the top of the East.
More Defensive Struggles For The Knicks
The Suns’ scoring 112 points here would suggest this was another improved defensive showing by the Knicks, but it wasn’t. The hosts just could not buy a basket for much of the fourth quarter, scoring just 18 points in it. The Suns were also too busy trying to target Towns and Mitchell Robinson instead of running their offense, and nearly paid the price for it.
Through three quarters, this was another poor defensive performance by the Knicks. They had allowed the Suns to rack up 94 points entering the fourth. There were defensive breakdowns that left shooters open, and it’s concerning how easily teams are able to score against the Knicks at times. On paper, this simply shouldn’t be happening.
Mitchell Robinson’s Dominance On The Glass
A big reason why the Knicks were able to cut into the Suns’ lead in the fourth quarter was Robinson’s dominance on the glass. The big man hauled in six offensive rebounds in the fourth alone.
Robinson finished with eight points (4-5 FG), 14 rebounds, and one assist on the night. He had eight offensive rebounds in total and kept giving his team additional opportunities. They weren’t able to capitalize on a lot of them.
The Knicks had 16 offensive rebounds compared to nine for the Suns and won the rebounding battle 50-37. When it came to second-chance points, though, they only had a 16-11 edge. The gap should have been much bigger.
Devin Booker Impresses Against The Knicks Again
Booker put up 36.5 points per game against the Knicks last season, tied for his highest scoring average against any opponent in the campaign. He shone here as well.
Booker had 17 points at the half and 26 going into the fourth. He wasn’t at his best in the fourth quarter, but made two critical plays when the Knicks had managed to tie the game at 101 with three minutes remaining.
First, Booker nailed a stepback jumper to put the Suns back up by two. He then drew the double-team and found Royce O’Neale, who buried a three to push the lead to five.
That was Booker’s eighth and final assist of the night. The Suns are now 9-1 this season when he has at least eight assists.
The Knicks Turn It Over One Too Many Times Down The Stretch
The Knicks have been pretty good when it comes to taking care of the ball this season. Their average of 13.8 turnovers per game ranks fourth in the NBA, but they made way too many mistakes here.
The Knicks had 18 turnovers against the Suns, and six of them came in the fourth quarter. That is one way to squander the advantage you gained from your activity on the glass.
The Suns, on the other hand, only had 10 turnovers here. They ended up with a notable 22-11 edge in points off turnovers. We spoke about the Knicks not capitalizing on those offensive rebounds, but the Suns did take advantage of those turnovers and walked away with yet another win.
