A valiant early fourth-quarter surge wasn’t enough to help the New York Knicks avoid defeat in their opening game of the 2019-20 season.
On paper and as individuals, the New York Knicks looked mighty impressive in their first outing of the 2019-20 campaign.
Three players registered over 20 points, highlighted by Marcus Morris‘ game-high 26 points. Julius Randle‘s 25 were complemented by 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Elfrid Payton came off the bench and was a team-best plus-14 on his way to 11 points and six assists.
The box score fillers, however, were all for nothing where it mattered most. Without Mitchell Robinson, New York’s defense struggled from the jump down in Texas, floundering on its way to a 120-111 defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
The Knicks made their mark in the third quarter, finishing the frame with a 33-24 advantage thanks to a bevy of looks inside. After amassing a lead as big as six early in the final quarter, the lack of go-to scoring options proved to be New York’s demise.
RJ Barrett impressed during his first official taste of NBA action. He finished the game off with 21 points on an impressive 9-of-13 shooting effort.
As the Knicks head back to the tri-state area for a matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, it’s important not to focus on the loss as much as that which can be drawn from it both good and bad.