Historic Second Quarter Scoring Leads Knicks Past Hawks
David Fizdale couldn’t help but crack a few smiles during his first game as the New York Knicks head coach.
The Knicks franchise is hoping to bring that to a fan base that through the years have left Knicks fans wanting more.
The New York Knicks picked up a 126-107 season-opening over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks used a franchise-record 49-point second quarter to overwhelm the visiting Hawks in New York as they outscored Atlanta 49-25 in the period.
Coach David Fizdale’s New York Knicks had it clicking on all cylinders in the quarter offensively as they received 27 points off their bench to take a sizable 72-49 halftime lead.
Tim Hardaway Jr. shook off a 0-for-4 start by draining eight of his next 10 shot attempts. The basketball prodigy would have 22 points at the half.
He would finish with 31 points (10-for-22 FG, 3-for-9 3PT), 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Much of the talk coming into this season opener was centered on the rookies as lottery picks Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Kevin Knox of the New York Knicks made their NBA debuts.
Trae Young would struggle with his shot in his first NBA game as the marksmen finished the game with 14 points (5-for-14 FG, 1-for-5 3 PT), 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 33 minutes.
His fellow 2018 draft classmate Kevin Knox would struggle even more as he finished the game with 10 points (4-for-16 FG, 1-for-5 3 PT), 2 steals and a block in 24 minutes.
Not to be left out, Knicks rookie guard Allonzo Trier made the most of his time off the bench as he finished with 15 points (5-for-9, 1-for-3 3PT), 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in 26 minutes.
Trier had arguably the highlight of the night as with the third quarter winding down, the former Arizona guard threw down a highlight reel right-handed slam over Hawks’ forward Taurean Prince.
The New York Knicks 126 points to light up the Mecca will get all of the headlines, but coach Fizdale’s team was active and energetic on the defensive side of the ball.
The Atlanta Hawks would be held to 10-for-36 from behind the arc and forced into 24 turnovers on the night.
The Knicks opened their 73rd season leaving fans at a sold out Madison Square Garden with reasons to be excited about this season.
No, the Knicks aren’t going to challenge the Celtics for the Eastern Conference this season or for the coming years, but New York is hoping to build upon their young nucleus of talent.
A victory at home over a Hawks team projected to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference in hindsight means little, but it’s a step in the right direction as the Knicks kick off the season on a right note.
Who impressed you most during the Knicks season-opening win on Wednesday night? Leave your comments below!