The Knicks tried to pull one out late, but things unraveled in the fourth quarter in their 108-93 loss to the Utah Jazz.
Here are the takeaways…
– The three-ball was falling early for the Knicks, as Evan Fournier, Alec Burks, and RJ Barrett combined for seven in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Knicks were just 4-of-11 from inside the perimeter, but Utah also struggled from the field, shooting at just a 40 percent clip in the first. Thanks to the threes, the Knicks led 31-26 after one.
– The Jazz, however, went on a 31-11 run that dated back to the late stages of the first quarter – they hit 10 of their first 12 field goals of the second quarter, and the Knicks hit just three of their first eight. Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson each had 18 points on a combined 13-for-22 shooting. New York shot just seven three-pointers in the second quarter (and made three), as they trailed 60-53 at the half, despite three players (Barrett — 15, Fournier — 11, and Burks — 10) being in double digits.
– Both teams were cold out of the half, as just 10 points were scored in the first five minutes. Utah and New York started the half just 3-for-18 from the floor, but Utah wound up getting out to a 14-point lead. The Knicks stopped knocking long-range shots, hitting just three of their first 14 from the perimeter in the third, and they trailed 85-73 going into the fourth.
– Obi Toppin knocked a corner three to open up the fourth and cut the deficit to single digits, and Immanuel Quickley got aggressive. He was fouled on two three-pointers, but only made half of his six free throws. He did connect on another three, and it became a four-point game with seven minutes to play. Julius Randle and Fournier re-entered the game with just under five minutes to go, and Randle almost immediately missed a layup and turned the ball over as Utah suddenly stretched things to their largest lead of the night at 17 points. In the final 7:32 of the game, the Knicks scored just seven points as they went 3-for-13 from the floor.
– Randle again struggled from the floor, going 6-for-22 for a second-consecutive game. In his last 12 games, he’s shooting at a 38.1 percent clip. Upon the final whistle, Randle had words to say to the Utah bench and had to be separated. He and Rudy Gobert got chippy in the fourth, but things were broken up easily.
– There was no answer for the New York native Mitchell, who scored 36 points and hit seven three-pointers on the night.
Highlights
What’s next
The Knicks will host fan favorite Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks in a first-round rematch on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.
