New York Knicks: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: A general view of the tip-off between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on October 17, 2018 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

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3. Incredible offensive production

Last season saw the Knicks struggle to score the basketball, ranking 18th in scoring at 104.5 points per game. A majority of that number came with Kristaps Porzingis bringing 22.7 points a night to the table. Without him, it’d be reasonable to assume the team would struggle to put the ball in the bucket even more.

It was only a single game against a team that ranked in the bottom third in points allowed in 2017-18, but New York came out on fire in the victory, dropping 126 points, including 49 in the second quarter — the second-most points in a frame in franchise history.

The team would also go on to cross the 100-point threshold before the final quarter, the first time such a scoring binge has occurred since Jan. 24 of 2014, which happens to be the date in which Carmelo Anthony set the franchise record for most points in a game with 62.

The Knicks were crisp with their passing, dropping 21 dimes, and on point with their outside shooting, knocking in 12 3-pointers at a 36.4 percent clip.

Such efficiency may not be sustainable for a team so heavily reliant on such inexperienced players, but the habits are something Fizdale should look to emphasize in order to best attempt to replicate this level of play in the future.

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