The Portland Trail Blazers linked up with the New York Knicks Sunday at Madison Square Garden for a topsy-turvy contest. Both teams built up double-digit leads at different points in the game, with Portland holding a 14-point lead early in the third quarter.
Then the Jalen Brunson-less Knicks stormed back to assert their control on the game when it counted, winning 110-93, despite the best efforts of Blazers forward Deni Avdija.
Forwards Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby led the Knicks to the win with 28 points apiece.
Blazer of the Game: Deni Avdija. The deeper into the season, the brighter Avdija seems to shine. He was Portland’s engine against the Knicks, producing 33 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals while shooting 14-25 from the field and 2-7 on 3s. Avdija showed off some of his most dazzling footwork to date in New York, and he probed the paint with an impressive patience. Honorable mentions go to Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara. Sharpe registered 23 points on 10-18 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Camara put up 16 points on 6-7 shooting from the field and 4-6 shooting from deep.
Stat of the Night: 23-4. With sparkplug Scoot Henderson out Sunday and Portland already lacking late-season depth due to the injury report, the Knicks outdid the Blazers in bench points, 23-4. Only Duop Reath scored off the Portland pine. With that little production, the starting five carried a big burden. A tough shooting night from Anfernee Simons — 5-20 for 15 points — didn’t help.
What We’ll Remember: Deni does it again…and a loss. With a 33-point performance under the bright lights of MSG, Avdija continued to cement himself as Portland’s best player this season. He also continues to raise questions about the height of his potential. Still, the game amounted to a double-digit loss. That’s the Blazers’ fourth consecutive loss during a stretch that was considered must-win for their play-in hopes.
What’s Next: First, Blazer’s Edge Managing Editor Dave Deckard will be with you soon for tonight’s extended recap. Then the Blazers play the third leg of this five-game road trip in a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
