At the end of the effort, New York counter Kyle Kuzma (40 points)!

The wonderful start to the new year continues for Knicksthat last night at Washington earned their fifth victory in their six games played in 2023 (112-108), and a sixth victory in seven games counting their victory in Houston on December 31.

Highly contested, this meeting logically found its outcome in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when the Knicks, at the hands of Julius Randle then from a Jalen Brunson again XXL (34 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists on 50% shots), first behind the arc for the first then at the free throw line for the second, scored decisive baskets that kept two possessions away and sealed of winning.

In control in the first half, the Wizards lost the momentum on the way back from the locker room but it wasn’t worth it until the end. In particular by erasing the second half of the fourth quarter of the delay of 15 points, which the Knicks got at the beginning of the last action after 14-0, to return to a possession. Under the impetus of a massive Kyle Kuzmaauthor of his second best career score with 40 points, the capital’s squad gave everything but narrowly failed, in a match that ultimately did not result in much.

With this victory, their 24th of the season, the Knicks asserted themselves just above 6th place in the Eastern Conference. Especially since at the same time, the Pacers, their main competitor for the last jump seat for direct qualification to the playoffs, lost to the Hawks.

WHAT YOU SHOULD REMEMBER

– With no outside address, the Knicks hammered the paint. Authors of a poor 8/29 behind the arc, the Knicks didn’t panic and came up with plan B on offense: attacking the Wizards in their paint. A strategy that worked since Tom Thibodeau’s men scored 50 of their 112 points in this area, including 29 for the Jalen Brunson – Julius Randle duo. Over the total of the Wizards, the authors of only 28 points in the racket of New York.

– The Knicks travel well. Winners for the 13th time in 21 games, the Knicks have the third-best road record in the league. At Madison Square Garden, their balance was barely balanced (11-11). Although this leaves room for increased home power in the second half of the season, it is a very good sign, as the club is firmly established in 6th place in its conference, and away victories are key elements of a playoff qualification.

TOPS and FLOPS

✅ Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. Great game for the two leaders of the Knicks, authors of 57 of their team’s 112 points (34 for the first, 23 for the second). Their “pick-and-roll” relationship is once again the nerve center of an attack that is not always very varied and inspired by Tom Thibodeau, and their volume of play in other areas has also been decisive for the Knicks (16 rebounds for Randle, and 8 rebounds and 8 assists for Brunson). They, behind the arc and at the free throw line, pushed the Wizards back in the final possessions of the game.

✅ Emmanuel Quickley. Subbed in as the sixth man since RJ Barrett returned from injury in midweek, the Knicks joker has maintained his high level of play in recent weeks. With 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, and a brilliant human defense that box mark wasn’t enough to relate, the former Kentucky has effectively energized his team’s phases of play, on both sides of the field. The Knicks MIP this season.

✅ Kyle Kuzma. Hero of the Wizards’ last game against the Bulls, “Kuz” continued his momentum by offering the second best offensive game of his career, with 40 points on 14/27 shots and an 8/ 9 in free throws, not to mention 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Unfortunately not enough to bring down the Knicks, stubborn in “money-time”. But the Wizards winger in any case delivered his best individual performance this season, possibly All-Star caliber.

✅⛔️ Kristaps Porzingis. For the first game of the season against his former team, the Latvian pivot was ghostly in the first three quarters, finishing with 8 points on 3/14 shots. Before gaining momentum in the final action, dramatically score three award-winning shots to feed the come back (missed) from the Wizards. Defensively, however, it was even more frustrating, “KP” struggling to protect the circle as the Knicks continued to penetrate the paint to tell of their sloppiness behind the arc.

THE FOLLOWING

– Wizards (18-25): Reception of warriors, Monday evening (9:00 pm).

– Knicks (24-19): trip to Detroit, Sunday night (7:00 pm).