Knicks Fall Short Against Suns in Phoenix
In a closely contested game in Phoenix on Friday night, the New York Knicks fell short against the Suns, ending the match with a score of 112-107. This game marked the beginning of a significant West Coast journey for the Knicks.
Game Highlights
Starting with a strong sense of urgency, Miles McBride kicked off the scoring for New York, sinking a three-pointer right away. He followed that up by assisting Jalen Brunson for another three, giving the Knicks an early lead at 6-2. However, the Suns quickly countered with Dillon Brooks hitting a long-range shot that ignited a 10-0 run, allowing Phoenix to go ahead by six points. Brooks finished the first quarter leading all players with 11 points, nailing two more threes to contribute to his team’s 28-23 advantage over the Knicks.
Beyond McBride and Brunson’s early efforts, the offensive support for New York was sparse, as key players OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Mitchell Robinson managed only six points collectively in the opening quarter.
Shifts in Momentum
The second quarter saw a shift in momentum as the Knicks’ bench stepped up, with Jordan Clarkson notably scoring seven consecutive points early on, helping New York tie the game at 32. Clarkson ended the quarter with 12 points. Midway through, Karl-Anthony Towns scored his first points of the game with a three-pointer, which flipped the lead back in New York’s favor for the first time since the opening minute. The half closed with both teams exchanging leads frequently; at halftime, the Suns held a narrow 62-60 lead.
Towns, who started slowly, was more assertive after halftime. He got things rolling by hitting a deep three shortly after making one of his free throws. However, Brooks continued to impress with his fourth three-pointer. The third quarter became a showcase for Brunson and Towns, as they combined for 20 points early on. Yet, as the offensive output diminished for the rest of the Knicks lineup, Phoenix capitalized, going on a significant 14-0 run, extending their lead to what would be their largest of the night while holding New York to no points for five minutes.
With under a minute remaining in the third, McBride hit a three that halted the Suns’ momentum, but Towns responded by completing a three-point play to reduce the deficit to eight points heading into the final quarter.
Final Quarter Drama
In the fourth quarter, Anunoby’s three-pointer brought the Knicks to within four, but Booker quickly countered with a three-point play of his own. As the game progressed, scoring became increasingly difficult, but New York managed to tie the game at 101 after Anunoby made two free throws with just over three minutes remaining. Unfortunately for the Knicks, this was as close as they would get. The Suns concluded the game with an impressive 11-6 run while converting all their free throw attempts in the final moments, solidifying their win.
Critical to the closing moments, Anunoby faced a chance to narrow the gap to one point after being fouled on a three-pointer but ended up missing two of three free throws with only 2.2 seconds left, sealing the Knicks’ fate. Brooks punctuated his standout performance by sinking both of his free throws at the end, finishing the night with a strong 27 points, alongside seven rebounds and five assists.
Jalen Brunson, who scored 27 points but struggled in the closing quarter with only one field goal and four turnovers throughout the game, became a notable absence in crunch time for New York. Overall, the Knicks racked up 17 turnovers compared to Phoenix’s eight.
Conclusion
The standout player of the night was undoubtedly Dillon Brooks, who, despite Devin Booker’s game-high 31 points, contributed significantly to the Suns’ victory. Following this loss, the Knicks will continue their road trip with a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at 6 p.m.
