JAZZ GET DISTORTED IN SOUNDS OF NEW YORK CITYA night after being tenderized and marinated by the Nets in Brooklyn, the Knicks put the Jazz to the grill with a ten-point margin of victory at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks through eight games have now faced five of last season's playoff contenders and achieved victory in three, making them 5-3 in this very young season.
They're presently the NBA's sixth stingiest team, yielding 105.1 points per game. Wednesday against the Jazz marks the third time in eight games they've held their opponent to 100 points or less. In fact, their opponent's collective 43.3% field goal average ranks third-worst in the league. Which is to say, Coach Thibodeau has his guys contesting everything.
In Tom Thibodeau's economy, the currency of effort continues earning minutes. He again sticks with a tight eight-man rotation, but his starters averaged 37.2 minutes, their second-highest mark through eight games. Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Elfrid Payton each put in at least forty minutes. Look no further than the Knicks twelve-point deficit at halftime. The Knicks pressed by Thibodeau not only overcome their double-digit deficit but go on to snatch away victory by double-digits. Austin Rivers leads the bench effort shooting 9/14, including 5/7 from the arc for 23 points in 32 minutes.
Despite shooting 0/5 from long range, Julius Randle was 10/26 from the field and 10/12 from the line for a game-high thirty points as well as a game-high 16 rebounds with seven assists to boot. The Knicks continue getting price worthy performances from him.
