Turnovers Hurt Knicks In 108-95 Loss To Wizards In Washington

by
Former Writers
November 5, 2018

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The New York Knicks entered their matchup with the Washington Wizards yesterday with momentum. The Knicks came in winners of two out of their last three games, but they came up short against the Wizards in Washington. They lost 108-95 in a game that was sloppy. Overall, the Knicks kept shooting themselves in the foot, turning the basketball over 20 times.

Slow Start In First Quarter Also Hurt Knicks

We’ve heard former NBA head coach and former ESPN analyst, Doug Collins, say this saying numerous times. He’s said that the NBA is a first quarter league. For the Knicks, they didn’t perform well in the first quarter. They were outscored by the Wizards in the period 24-17. Having a slow start on the road also contributed to the loss.

Also, the slow start forced the Knicks to play from behind the entire first half. The Wizards came out and played very desperate and rightfully so. They came in with a 1-7 record, losing five games in a row. The Knicks couldn’t match their desperation in the first half.

Knicks Show Fight In Second Half

The Knicks went into halftime looking for answers. They trailed 58-48 heading into the third quarter. The Wizards increased their lead at one point in the quarter to 13, forcing the Knicks to regroup. However, they didn’t fold their tents and go home. The Knicks were able to cut that 13 point lead and make things interesting.

They also tied the game at 86 with 9:13 to play in the fourth quarter, showing fight. After that, the Wizards held the Knicks to nine points the rest of the way, leading to a 108-95 Wizards victory. As a team, the Knicks didn’t shoot the ball well. They shot 39-93 from the field (41.9%), and 5-27 from three point range (18.5%).

Knicks Didn’t Have An Answer For John Wall and Bradley Beal

Obviously, the key to defeating the Wizards is containing their backcourt in John Wall and Bradley Beal. No doubt, turnovers and frigid shooting hurt the Knicks. But allowing both Wall and Beal to have great games also hurt them.

Wall had 26 points on 9-17 shooting and dished out seven assists in 38 minutes of action. Beal had 22 points on 7-14 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds in 40 minutes of action. The Knicks simply didn’t have an answer for them.

Despite The Loss, Enes Kanter Was A Bright Spot For The Knicks

Obviously, it wasn’t a good game for the Knicks, but they did have a bright spot. Big man Enes Kanter shot 18-24 from the field. He had 18 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes of action. So far this season, Kanter is averaging 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

Knicks Injury Report

The 9th overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft for the Knicks, Kevin Knox, missed his seventh straight game due to a sprained left ankle. He feels he’s ready to play, but Knicks head coach David Fizdale thinks otherwise:

“He’s not making the diagnosis — my 19-year-old rookie. I told him I want him to play 5-on-5 first. I know he feels great, but at the same time we have to be sure.”

Also, guard Courtney Lee hasn’t played for the Knicks this season yet. He’s been sidelined due to neck spasms. Fizdale is hoping that he returns to the court soon.

Up Next For The Knicks

The Knicks will have to move on quickly from yesterday’s disappointing loss to the Wizards. They hope home cooking at Madison Square Garden can get them back on track. They face the Chicago Bulls tonight at home. It should be a good game.