Knicks Blast Blazers, Anunoby Leads Way in Scoring
While his intangibles away from the box score have come up huge for the New York Knicks, OG Anunoby was apparently tired of letting his new teammates have all the fun.
Anunoby let his offense do the talking on Tuesday night, as he led the Knicks in scoring en route to a 112-84 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The former Toronto Raptor kept the team's streak of New Year's perfection alive, scoring a team-best 23 points.
In addition to his scoring output, Anunoby showcased the defense that drew the Knicks' interest in the first place: the 84 points the Knicks let up on Wednesday were the fewest they've allowed in a game so far this season. New York (22-15) is also a season-best seven games above .500 and extended its longest winning streak of the year, now the longest active tally in the NBA.
Wendell Cruz, USA TODAY SPORTS
All but seven of Anunoby's final scoring total came in the opening period to set the stage for the Knicks' second consecutive wire-to-wire victory and fifth in a row overall. Those 16 points were the literal difference in a quarter that the Knicks won by a 38-22 margin and Portland (10-26) never got any closer than 13 after that.
The deficit eventually inflated to as much as 39, allowing the Knicks to empty their bench earlier than usual. With an average margin of victory of 24 points, the Knicks have also won four consecutive games by at least 15 points for the first time since 2001.
Anunoby's scoring breakout came on a night where leading scorers Jalen Brunson (11 points, 1-of-7 from three-point range) and Julius Randle (7-of-17 from the field) struggled to find a rhythm, but he had plenty of help: the Knicks hit 18 three-pointers for the second time in three games after doing so only three times over the first 32 (none in the latter 24 of that span).
The backcourt trio of Anunoby, Quentin Grimes, and Miles McBride sank four each while Donte DiVincenzo added three more. Grimes and Isaiah Hartenstein forced three Portland seals while the latter took advantage of the Blazers missing DeAndre Ayton to pull in 14 rebounds, his third game in the new year with at least 10.
Woebegone Portland resumed its losing ways after sealing an overtime victory in Brooklyn on Sunday, now standing at 1-4 on an ongoing seven-game road trip. Jerami Grant led the Blazers with 21 in defeat. A rematch at Moda Center is scheduled for March, giving the Knicks a chance for their first sweep of Portland since 2000.
In the meantime, the Knicks now hit the road for two, beginning with a Thursday visit to North Texas to face the Dallas Mavericks (8:30 p.m. ET, MSG). It'll be former Maverick Jalen Brunson's first appearance at American Airlines Center since he signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks in the summer of 2022.
