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David Fizdale has created a playmaker monster.
Mario Hezonja, for his second consecutive start at the point, led the Knicks to a furious fourth-quarter rally, posting a new career-high 30 points to topple the Wizards, 113-110, in a garden that rocked up to the point where it was up. at the last surreal seconds.
After a triple-double in a loss to the Rockets in his debut as a leader on Friday, Hezonja was a hero Sunday night, scoring 13 points for the fourth quarter and perhaps questioning the position for which he was best placed at 24 years old. .
Hezonja, the former top high lottery player in 2015 who had scored his career with 29 goals in Orlando last week, scored 30 points with a whopping 3 scoring points at the end of the last minute and two successful free throws eight seconds from the end. . He also had five assists and six rebounds.
The coach of the Knicks, David Fizdale, two games from the end, gives the impression of giving the ball to the Croatian. And Hezonja wants it.
"Of course, we will not stop now," said Fizdale. "He played three great games. Great games. Let's continue to watch it and see where it will take him and if that's really what it should be in the future. "
The question is what will be the future of Hezonja, an alleged free agent gone to New York. He had some famous parades, including his last-second block against LeBron James three weeks ago.
"I'm ready to talk to [James] Dolan, '' Hezonja joked. "If he gives me this call on July 1, we're done."
The Knicks recovered 10 points after three quarters and increased by three points with a time remaining at 2:40, under the effect of the monstrous training of Hezonja.
After the Wizards regained the advantage, Hezonja eliminated a 3-pointer from the left wing to give the Knicks a 111-110 advantage with 44 seconds to play. He then pointed to defenseman Jeff Green, a former teammate. Hezonja said that her boyfriend spoke badly.
18 seconds from the end, Sam Dekker ended the game for Washington by trying an easy pass inside the track.
"I said, at home, it was my natural position," said Hezonja. "And me, as a player, I like to involve my teammates in the action. So it feels good and I'm grateful that Fiz and [assistant Keith] Smart put me there. ''
The Wizards (32-49) had won nine straight games at the Garden before going to bed Sunday. The Knicks have gone to 16-64 and can avoid breaking the franchise's franchise history record by beating 1-1 in two games.
Derek Fisher's 2014-2015 team holds the record for the worst franchise record at 17-65. The Knicks visit the Bulls on Tuesday and host the Pistons on Wednesday.
Throughout the fourth quarter, the garden crowd was more alive than it has been all season. Imagine next season if the summer is going as planned.
"With all the difficulties and defeats, our fans came every night to really support us," said Fizdale. "Yes, I'm thinking of the games when we set up how this place is going to be."
It seemed like the Knicks were going to collapse again when Mitchell Robinson was called to watch Troy Brown, who then scored a corner 3 over the next possession to give the Wizards a two-point lead at 48 seconds of the end.
Hezonja had an early, penetrating and passing rhythm. In the first half, he made perfect passes to two Knicks rookies, Robinson and Kevin Knox. Robinson finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Playmaker Dennis Smith Jr., having missed the previous three games with a stern back, left the bench to play 26 minutes and score 15 points, resulting in the fourth quarter race. Playing off the ball when Hezonja was on the field, Smith admitted that he had less than 100% but that he wanted to finish the season on the pitch.
"He probably will not say it," Fizdale said. "He was playing a lot of pain. He really went through the end of the road. "
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