The Knicks opened the game on a record-setting run and used a 47-point third quarter to blow out the Utah Jazz, 146-112, on Friday night at MSG.
It’s New York’s best home start (12-1) since 1992-1993 and the most points they’ve scored in a game since 1980.
Here are the takeaways…
— OG Anunoby returned to the court for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on Nov. 14 and immediately made an impact, forcing a turnover on Utah’s first possession. Fellow starters Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges all scored (in order) and soon after, Miles McBride, off the bench for Anunoby, drilled a three-pointer to put the Knicks up 16-0, forcing a Jazz timeout. The lead grew to 23 points before Keyonte George scored with 5:27 remaining in the first quarter, drawing a continuation foul against Bridges and completing the three-point play.
The 23-0 start became the largest game-opening run without an opponent point in the PxP era (1997-98), per the NBA.
— Anunoby got his first bucket on a fade-away, and-one jumper with about a minute left and Brunson capped off the dominant quarter with a step-back three-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining. The Knicks took a commanding 41-13 lead, their largest lead after the first quarter since the 1996-1997 season. They held Utah to 17 percent shooting, with three of their four makes coming from beyond the arc.
— Towns got going in the second with an offensive rebound followed by a three-pointer on the next possession. George, Kyle Filipowski, and veteran Kevin Love began to get the Jazz back in the game, but McBride caught fire with three straight three-pointers to push the lead to 29 points.
New York led at halftime, 68-47, despite losing the second quarter (34-27) as Lauri Markkanen heated up before the break. The Knicks shot 51 percent in the first half and won the rebound battle by six. McBride led the way with 16 points (5-for-7 on threes), while Brunson had 13, and Towns and Bridges scored 10 each. Bridges’ scoring came on 5-for-5 shooting in the first quarter, but he barely played in the second quarter after picking up his third foul.
— Towns made two straight three-pointers to open the third quarter and then Brunson decided it was his turn, hitting two straight threes to push the lead back up to 27 points. McBride’s huge night continued, as he buried his sixth and seventh three-pointers (connecting on 27 of his last 41 attempts) to make it a 100-67 game with 3:28 remaining in the quarter. Brunson kept the three-point barrage going, making two more before hitting his free throws to give him 32 points through three quarters.
The Knicks blew it open with 47 points in the third, their most points in any quarter this season, to go up 115-77.
— Mike Brown emptied the bench in the fourth quarter, but allowed Anunoby to keep playing and shake off any rust. He checked out with 7:15 left, playing a total of 23 minutes in his first game back. He scored 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting with an assist and two turnovers.
Brunson finished with a game-high 33 points on 9-for-17 shooting, including a perfect 9-for-9 at the foul line. Towns had 18 points and nine rebounds, while Clarkson had 16 points off the bench. All 12 Knicks who played scored.
Game MVP: Miles McBride
McBride heard elongated “Deuce” chants from the Garden crowd all night long. He scored 22 points in 22 minutes, going 7-for-10 from three-point land with three rebounds and two assists.
Highlights
What’s next
The Knicks will stay at home and face off against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 12:00 p.m.
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