OKLAHOMA CITY — The Knicks left New York instantly following an embarrassing loss to the Thunder on the Backyard ground barely one week in the past.
They headed again residence Monday evening after sealing a profitable document on a frightening five-game street journey with a redemptive victory over the workforce that smashed them for 145 factors on Nov. 13 at MSG.
Jalen Brunson poured in 23 of his season-high 34 factors within the second half — and Julius Randle and RJ Barrett bounced again from poor taking pictures performances Sunday in Phoenix to attain 25 factors apiece — because the Knicks seized a 129-119 victory at Paycom Heart.
“What I used to be enthusiastic about was they type of punked us final time,” Brunson stated of the Thunder. “I wasn’t actually enthusiastic about precisely how they did it.
“That they had the mentality that we didn’t final time we have been on the court docket. My complete mindset was simply, ‘Let’s play laborious, let’s play tougher than them for 48 minutes and no matter occurs, occurs.’ We have been in a position to come out with a win.”
Randle, who scored a season-low 9 factors towards the Suns, completed with 25 and 11 rebounds, whereas Barrett busted out of a five-game stoop with 25 factors on 10-for-16 taking pictures, together with 3-for-4 from 3-point vary. Brunson linked on 14 of 20 field-goal makes an attempt and likewise registered 9 assists.
Immanuel Quickley added 18 factors, together with 4 3-pointers, and Quentin Grimes had eight in 33 minutes in his second straight begin because the Knicks evened their document at 9-9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder (7-10) with 30 factors after netting 37 within the Thunder’s eruption at MSG.
“They positively had our consideration from what they did within the Backyard,” Quickley stated. “Any time any individual places up, like, 150 factors on the board, your antenna has to go up.
“We discovered from the movie and we discovered from what they did and we introduced slightly extra power and energy and we’re seeing the outcomes. We obtained a a lot wanted dub.”
The Knicks had cut up the primary 4 video games of the journey — wins over the Jazz and Nuggets adopted by losses to the Warriors and the Suns. These 4 groups entered Monday’s motion with a mixed document of 25-4 on their residence courts, with the lone losses for Utah and Denver coming final week towards the Knicks.
“The factor is it’s just like the video games maintain coming. We knew it might be a problem and generally happening the street is sweet for you,” Tom Thibodeau stated. “We figured every recreation individually, went step-by-step. We all know we have now numerous work to do. We've to proceed to enhance. This provides us an opportunity to get residence, one other day of restoration and we are able to get again to work.”
To salvage a profitable document on the five-in-seven-days tour, Thibodeau actually wanted a greater effort defensively towards Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder than the Knicks put forth once they have been smacked for essentially the most factors they’ve allowed in any recreation this season in a 145-135 residence loss on the Backyard eight days earlier.
The Knicks had eight steals within the first half, with Grimes and Miles McBride — taking part in rather than Cam Reddish (groin) and Derrick Rose (toe) — incomes reward from Thibodeau for his or her ball strain.
Barrett, who inked a four-year extension price a assured $107 million over the summer time, hardly may say the identical over his earlier 5 video games. He’d missed 23 of 25 makes an attempt from 3-point vary whereas connecting on simply 26.3 p.c from the ground total (20-for-76) over his earlier 5 appearances.
After totaling simply 21 factors on 7-for-22 taking pictures towards the Suns, Barrett and Randle mixed for 16 within the first quarter alone Monday because the Knicks constructed a 38-34 lead by means of one and 69-58 at halftime.
The Thunder slashed a 17-point Knicks cushion to seven halfway by means of the third, however Brunson netted 12 within the quarter for a 98-87 recreation coming into the ultimate interval.
“We wish to go residence. Nevertheless it was a fantastic win to finish the journey,” Barrett stated. “We actually stayed collectively by means of this complete complete journey, so to finish it off with a win like this, was good, however we gotta get residence.”
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