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The New York Knicks turned off the lights of Capital One Arena in a dazzling display of firepower to defeat the Washington Wizards, 117-99, on Saturday night despite the absence of their All-Star Julius Randle.
The Knicks hit 24 of 52 three-pointers that would have broken their record of 20 three-pointers, which they’ve done three times (2011, 2013 and 2018), according to Stat Muse. The 52 attempts would also have broken their previous record of 51 attempts on Jan. 29, 2017 against the Atlanta Hawks, according to Stat Muse.
Kevin Knox and Obi Toppin intervened in the absence of Randle, who is expecting her second child. The backup forwards dealt the Wizards in every half.
Knox, who had fallen on the rotation of Tom Thibodeau, made the most of the rare opportunity, scoring 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc and in the first half where the Knicks took a 13 point lead. But the Wizards recovered from early trouble and reduced the Knicks’ lead, 59-55 at halftime.
Toppin, who started at Randle, hit back after serious fouls and a scoreless first half to lead the Knicks’ second-half breakaway. The eighth pick of 2020 scored 11 points in the third quarter, triggering an 18-2 streak that opened the game. His six-point group ended in a wide-open three-runner at 6:49 of the third quarter to put the Knicks in control after a tight 64-62 game.
“A lot of guys stepped in. I think Obi played very well. I thought Kevin had arrived and gave us very good minutes, ”said Tom Thibodeau. “So it was good to see. I like the depth of our team.
The Knicks followed their 26 assists in their preseason debut with 27 as a spellbinding ball movement, and the shooting magic was too much for the Wizards. Nine Knicks have hit at least two three-pointers each.
“It’s one of the things we’ve been working hard on over the last couple of years and over the summer, and the guys we’ve recruited,” said Thibodeau. “They are very good at filming them, so their shot profile is correct and then does the right readings. This is probably the most important thing. The ability to get out of the dribble, attack the rim, and read the proper rim, hit the open man. And when the guys do the extra pass, we’ll have a good three-way pace.
Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker added two three points each. Rookie Quentin Grimes arrived in the final at 1:46 and shot three straight points.
But on top of their dramatically improved offense, the Knicks’ defense hasn’t lost a step. They held the Wizards below the hundred year mark and 38.2% shooting range.
RJ Barrett led the Knicks with 18 of 4 of 8 points and four assists while following Bradley Beal. The Wizards star scored 14 points on 5 of 13 shots in 25 minutes. He was limited to just three points in the third quarter and did not play in the fourth quarter as the Knicks’ lead reached 24.
Derrick Rose, who twisted his ankle late in the game, was a perfect 3-for-3 of 3 and had 15 points and eight assists off the bench.
Taj Gibson’s pair and rookie Jericho Sims played solid in the middle for the second straight game, with Mitchell Robinson still recovering from a foot injury and Nerlens Noel nursing a sore right knee.
Gibson, 36, had eight points and six rebounds as a starter, while Sims had a game-high 13 rebounds with seven points and three steals.
The Knicks will have a four-day rest before hosting the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at the Garden.
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