THE New York Knicks fall to the Memphis Grizzlies, even with their newly acquired players.
The Knicks failed to defend their home court against the Grizzlies at the Madison Square Garden with the score of 96-84.
The Knicks are currently the talk of town after the blockbuster trade of their former star player Kristaps Porzingis and guards Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Mavericks for guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Wesley Matthews plus center Deandre Jordan last January 31, 2019.
This was the debut game for both Smith and Jordan. However, it was spoiled by the return of Memphis guard Mike Conley from a minor knee injury to help the struggling Grizzlies get the win.
In this game, the Grizzlies relied on Mike Conley’s return performance of 25 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds. Center Marc Gasol also posted 24 points and nine boards to add to the stat sheet. In addition, forward Jarrett Jackson and guard Justin Holiday posted 16 points and 19 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Knicks had forward Kevin Knox who posted 17 points and guards Mario Hezonja and Luke Kornet who scored 14 and 11 points, respectively. The Knicks’ newly-acquired center Deandre Jordan posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards. Meanwhile, Smith posted eight points and six assists.
In the first 12 minutes of the game, the Knicks had the upper hand, finishing the quarter with the score of 22-19. However, in the second quarter, the Grizzlies come storming back, taking the lead before halftime with the score of 42-41.
In the third quarter, the Grizzlies began the run, outscoring the Knicks with the score differential of 32-21. And in the last 12 minutes of the game, the Grizzlies never looked backed and garnered the win with the final score of 96-84.
The Grizzlies are sitting 2nd to the last in the Western Conference standing while the Knicks continue their lackluster season record of 10-42, finishing last in the Eastern Conference. (Jayvee Gulfan, USC intern)