Los Knicks They started 2024 in the best possible way with a victory this Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves by 112-106 in a meeting in which he shone Julius Randle and in which his latest signing made his debut with the New York team, AND Anunoby.
He former Toronto Raptors player gave a very good image, contributed in defense and in the fight in the area and ended with 17 points and 6 rebounds also leaving several dunks for the gallery and an important triple in the last quarter. Nevertheless, was eliminated for fouls when there were four minutes left in the game.
Anunoby arrives to reinforce a project of the Knicks (18-15 balance) that has not quite made the leap to rub shoulders with the elite of the East (Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers…).
But this afternoon, in the first NBA game of 2024, the Knicks, who had chained three consecutive defeatsthey won an important victory against some Wolves that arrived like West leaders (24-8) and that they had won seven of their last nine duels.
Randle’s New Year’s Display
Randle celebrated the New Year with a recital of 39 points (14 of 24 shooting) and 8 rebounds. The power forward was a titan in the outcome with 12 of his team’s last 13 points just when the Wolves threatened a comeback.
Jalen Brunson got 16 points and 14 assists but he had a bad hangover from New Year’s Eve with a 5 of 23 in shots.
Anthony Edwards (35 points) and the Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns (29 points and 6 rebounds) They stood out in some Wolves that fought until the end but could not correct a resounding 38-17 against in the second period.
Anunoby debuts, Randle celebrates
Received with great applause in a Madison Square Garden in need of illusionary news, Anunoby was the starter rather RJ Barrett, He hit a triple shortly after starting and took care of Edwards from the beginning.
It was not easy to hold the Minnesota star, who was already facing the new Knicks signing or any other defender. He came out in the first quarter with 15 points The local response came from Randlevery incisive despite the towers inside the Wolves and that also add 15 points in the first quarter.
Con Edwards y Randle at full revs, the difference was in the backrests of both, since Towns scored 9 points for the visitors while for the Knicks, except for a block by Isaiah Hartenstein and Rudy Gobert, there was no sign of other players asking to speak (23-32).
It didn’t take long to appear Brunson, who captained a fantastic Knicks reaction to turn the score around with a run of 22-7 in just over five minutes (45-39 with 6.21 for the break).
Wolves stuck without Edwards
The most transitional defense of the Big Apple team hurt some Wolves what, without Edwards on the courtthey lost their north. Nor did they recover it when I returned to the field in a lousy second quarter for Minnesota (38-17) and that, with 13 points of Brunsonthey took advantage of the Knicks to seal the first part with a promising (61-49).
The passage through the locker room did not clear the Wolveswho returned to the court still with the stone of the second quarter weighing on their backs. Without nerve in attack or tension in defensethose of Chris Finch the game slipped through their hands without putting up any resistance (77-58 with 6.06 on the clock).
A triple of Anunoby gave the first advantage of over 20 points to some Knicks tremendously comfortable in all phases of the game. The opposite happened to the Wolveswho did not find solutions beyond a Edwards who assumed all the offensive flow of his team.
With a 94-78 the last period was reached and the Wolves, limp since the first quarter, suddenly found their lost freshness with a powerful dunk of Jaden McDaniels and the dots in the paint Towns y Gobert (94-88 with 8.59 to go).
Partial 0-10 to come back
That partial 0-10 I put fear into my body Knicks but to the rescue appeared the new boy in the office: a Anunoby who nailed a triple when things were looking worst for New Yorkers.
Towns I then grabbed the helm of the Wolves. Despite having five fouls, the Dominican, with a triple and a defensive action of much merit, placed his team on the brink of a comeback (99-95) with more than six minutes left.
The Wolves revolt He arrived alive until the last minute, but in that final stretch he appeared Randlesensational with 10 points in a row to certify the triumph of the Knicks.
