The Knicks hit a new Tom Thibodeau era in the first half against the Thunder
The The New York Knicks were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season and it looks like the decision to trade Julius Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns was a good one. However, they battled hard in a blockbuster matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.
The match between the Knicks and the Thunder at Madison Square Garden was rightly billed as a contest between two of the NBA’s best teams. The Thunder came into this game fresh off their 15-game regular season winning streak snapped by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and clearly had something to prove. Oklahoma City beat the Knicks so badly from the start that they made history in the process.
The Thunder held a 27-point lead over the Knicks at halftime is the biggest deficit which New York faced at halftime at Madison Square Garden in the Tom Thibodeau era, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
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Things didn’t get any better for the Knicks in the second half of this one The Thunder were outscored 126-101 in the world’s most famous arena. Although the Thunder couldn’t extend the lead in the second half, they kept the Knicks from getting really close and making it a game to come away with a comfortable win.
It’s the Thunder’s second straight comfortable win over the Knicks after winning the opener 117-107 in Oklahoma City exactly seven days ago. Overall, the Knicks have struggled against the league’s best teams this season and are now 0-5 against the Thunder, Cavaliers, Celtics and Rockets.
Of course, that’s not a complete cause for panic for Thibodeau and company. After all, they are 25-9 against the other 25 teams in the NBA. However, if they are to achieve their lofty goals of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, they will need to reverse that somewhat worrisome trend as the season progresses.
2025-01-11 03:27:00
