New York Knicks split another back-to-back: New injuries, old concerns

The New York Knicks won split match-ups with the Mavericks and Clippers on consecutive nights. They crushed the Mavericks but ran out of steam against Los Angeles.

The Knicks started by cruising to a 128-113 victory with incredible offense. But while their offense looked unstoppable, their defense was lazy in the first half. Dallas scored 68 points and kept the game tied through two quarters. 

But the Knicks stepped up their defense and played relentless offense to blow the game open in the third and close the door decisively.

New York started against the Clippers with the same ball movement that made their performance against the Mavericks so impressive. But Cam Payne sprained his ankle, and their defense progressively faded.

By the second half, we were stuck in a familiar scenario, watching LA pick apart New York’s three-point defense. The Knicks didn’t have enough steam to mount a comeback, losing 126-113.

Let’s view the consecutive games through each key player’s contributions.