The New York Knicks survived a Christmas showdown with the San Antonio Spurs, winning 117-114. The teams went blow-for-blow throughout an exciting game that featured dueling forty-point scorers.

The Knicks struggled from deep but found success attacking the rim despite Victor Wembanyama’s impressive paint protection. Wemby began to take over after Karl-Anthony Towns ran into foul trouble, and New York trailed at halftime.

The Knicks started to take control in the third quarter, but Towns ran into more foul trouble. Precious Achiuwa and OG Anunoby stepped up defensively to fill the void, and the Knicks fought to protect a slim lead in the final minute of action. 

A Chris Paul three made it a one-possession game with 30 seconds on the clock, but Josh Hart hustled to two offensive rebounds on the ensuing possession and closed out the win.

Let’s examine the individual heroics.

Mikal Bridges looked poised to go off after scoring the first seven points for New York. Incredibly, he never slowed down. Bridges knocked down big jumpers at all three levels, never losing his rhythm.

On top of going point for point with Victor Wembanyama, Bridges played elite defense. Ball handlers couldn’t shake him off, even with screen help. This was a two-way masterpiece.

My lone complaint from this game is that Mikal never touched the ball on the closing possession.

This game would look different without Karl-Anthony Towns’ foul trouble. Towns defended Wembanyama well but had to back off after picking up tacky fouls while helping against guards. But that’s not an excuse; poor fouls hampered KAT and gave Wemby the runway to drop forty points.

But let’s not overlook Towns’ offense. He scored 21 points and grabbed 9 boards in less than 30 minutes. KAT did that without shooting well from deep. He drove to the basket for most of his offensive production.

We’ve seen Jalen Brunson run into shooting slumps more often this season. But this team relies less on Brunson to score than last, and he always embraces his inner playmaker when shots won’t fall. 

Brunson shot the ball poorly, facing quality on-ball defenders with Wembanyama backing them up in the paint. He found seams to hit floaters, but his jumpers missed, and shot blockers denied his layup attempts. Brunson was most effective when creating opportunities for everyone else, particularly Mikal Bridges.

I didn’t like Brunson’s shot selection on the final two shots of the game. But killing the clock was as crucial as getting the shots off, and the captain drew so much attention that Josh Hart tracked down both offensive rebounds. 

I’m unsurprised that Josh Hart registered a double-double while Towns’ minutes were limited. Hart grabbed five offensive rebounds, creating second opportunities, including two in the game-winning possession.

Hart’s offense is more surprising. He finished at the rim despite Wembanyama’s presence and knocked down a timely fourth-quarter three. He played a key role in every aspect of this victory.'

A slow start left OG Anunoby’s production low. He missed open looks, though the Spurs deserve credit for good closeouts. Anunoby got his offense going in a nick of time with second-half threes and dunks in big spots.

Anunoby’s defensive versatility shone as he shifted from Harrison Barnes to Devin Vassell and then to Victor Wembanyama on defense. Anunoby defended all three players effectively, using his wingspan to challenge Wemby’s long jumpers late. 

Regarding defense on Wembanyama, Precious Achiuwa repeatedly battled the Frenchman. He defended well in isolation and still helped to protect the rim against others. Throw in ten rebounds to make this my favorite performance from Precious since he returned.

Three of Precious’ attempts came on corner threes. I believe that’s a sign that he hasn’t found his spots to attack on cuts or rolls. But he’s hit one corner three in the past three games, so maybe it’s a choice.

That’s one of the best games of the Knicks’ season. It had high drama, excellent offense, and tough defense. Plus, it featured a new hero.

Mikal Bridges caught a lot of heat for the hitch in his jumper and for being an expensive third cog of the offense. But December has been a prolonged statement, and he added an exclamation point on national television…also, as Donald Duck.

It’s great to see Mikal live up to the hype. I’m excited for the rest of this season with New York’s Big Three!

I’ll be batching the next three games together. So expect a review of Orlando and back-to-back games in Washington to close out this year. Have a happy holiday, Knicks fam!