Knicks clamp Spurs, halt 11-game surge with stingy defense
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The New York Knicks snapped the San Antonio Spurs’ 11-game winning streak on Sunday, holding the league’s hottest offense to a season-low total in a 114-89 victory at Madison Square Garden.
New York trailed by 12 early but dominated the rest of the afternoon behind what coach Mike Brown called “high-level” defense. The Knicks forced 22 turnovers and limited the Spurs to 26.5% shooting from three-point range, quelling a team that had hit 38% from deep and 50% overall during February.
All-Star rookie Victor Wembanyama, who poured in 42 points at the Garden on Christmas Day, managed 25 points and 13 rebounds this time while committing seven turnovers. Brown said the Knicks did not change their defensive principles for the 7-foot-4 center, focusing instead on team execution and avoiding foul trouble.
Mikal Bridges paced New York with 25 points, drilling five three-pointers and adding five rebounds and five steals. His performance, the best since a 30-point outing on Jan. 28 against Toronto, repeatedly ignited transition baskets.
“They’re a really good team, and you have to bring your ‘A’ game,” Bridges said. “I try to control what I can control, and that’s bringing energy on both ends.”
The Knicks have climbed to fifth in defensive rating over the past month, conceding 107 points per 100 possessions. Their recent stretch includes a dramatic fourth-quarter shutdown of Houston and a 99-point effort against Chicago, with a lopsided loss in Cleveland standing as the lone blemish.
Forward Josh Hart, a vocal leader in the locker room, emphasized maintaining playoff-level intensity. “I think it’s just another example of where we can be defensively,” Hart said. “We have to continue to build off this and not have lulls at this point.”
Brown, in his first season with New York, has deepened the rotation while asking players to sacrifice touches. “Our first standard is about sacrificing,” the coach noted. “Everybody in that room is willing to sacrifice to make sure that we’re trying to achieve one common goal, and Mikal is one of those guys.”
The Knicks improved to 38-24, while San Antonio fell to 42-20. New York returns to action Wednesday in Boston; the Spurs continue their Eastern road trip Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Source: ESPN
