Jalen Brunson, Knicks' offense roll over Grizzlies for 7-0 start at the Garden
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Towns slap five against the Memphis Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
That’s what the Knicks’ record remains at Madison Square Garden this season as they extended their home mark to 7-0 on Tuesday night with an easy 133-120 win over a beleaguered Memphis Grizzlies team.
With the win, the Knicks are 7-3 overall and have won five straight. Their 7-0 mark at home is their best start at Madison Square Garden since Mike Woodson’s team opened 10-0 in 2012-13.
The Knicks have two more games left in this homestand, beginning with Wednesday night’s game against Orlando.
The home streak has been impressive, especially on offense where the Knicks have shown tremendous growth as they adjust to Mike Brown’s new system.
“We felt we were a good team or had a chance to be a good team from the beginning, but we just didn’t have a lot of time together before we went out on the road,” Brown said after Tuesday’s win.
“We made some mistakes but we cleaned it up . . . We got here and our fans are fantastic. Playing at home, we fed off the energy of being here. We figured it out and we strung some games together because we played the right way and I was able to help them better.
“I don’t know what our home record is going to be at the end of the day but we just keep taking it one day at a time.”
Though the Knicks, who led by as many as 28 points, had a defensive letdown in the second half that allowed Memphis to get as close as 10, it’s hard not to be impressed by how their offense is playing.
For the first time in franchise history, the Knicks scored 130 or more points in three straight games.
They attempted a team- record 55 three-pointers, making 22 of them. The franchise record for three-point makes in a game is 24 (Oct. 22, 2021, vs. Magic). Jalen Brunson was 6-for-9 from three-point range for a game-high 32 points to pair with his 10 assists.
“The ball was moving,” Brunson said. “We were playing off each other, playing ball. When the ball is moving like that, we’re making shots, it’s great to see.”
“We’re emphasizing [three-pointers], but I think the best thing right now is that a lot of them are good shots. We may have some end-of-shot clock shots, but the way we’re getting them is great. We just got to keep generating them the way we are and just keep making advantages for each other.”
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Mikal Bridges added 22 points.
The Grizzlies (4-8) were led by Jaren Jackson’s 19 points and Ja Morant added 16 points with 10 assists.
OG Anunoby had 16 points for the Knicks but struggled from three-point range (1-for-10).
For the second straight game, the Knicks opened the game with a 40-point first quarter. The Knicks, who scored 40 in a win over the Nets on Sunday, jumped out to a 42-30 lead after the first period Tuesday.
By contrast, the Knicks scored 40 points in the first quarter just once last season in a November game against the Nets.
The Knicks continued to lead by double digits all the way through the second half.
The Grizzlies, plagued by both injuries to multiple rotation players and team drama, entered Madison Square Garden having lost five of their last six games.
The team’s problems went public shortly after a postgame exchange between Morant and coach Tuomas Iisalo after a Memphis loss to the Lakers on Oct. 31. Morant, who is averaging a career-low 31 minutes per game, was suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team.
The Grizzlies have won only one game since then. As they opened a four-game road trip against the Knicks, trade rumors concerning Morant have intensified, although the Knicks are not one of the teams that have been mentioned as a landing spot.
The Knicks rested Mitchell Robinson as part of a load management plan that does not have him playing back-to-backs. That means he is likely to play Wednesday when the Knicks host Orlando and try to extend their home mark to 8-0.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
