LeBron James reigns supreme in New York
LeBron James stirred up quite the beef with the New York Knicks as perceived shots were fired at their rookie Frank Ntilikina before the game. Despite clarifying that he only meant to praise Dallas Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr, the Knicks and their players returned fire quickly all over social media.
As the game began, it seemed as if LeBron’s controversial comments lit a fire in New York’s belly as they came out swinging. The Knicks quickly took the lead, and by the third quarter, it looked as if they were never giving it back.
However, James had other ideas as he led the charge for the Cavaliers in the final frame and flipped the script on the Knicks. Following a 43 point fourth quarter that saw LeBron rack up seven of his total 12 assists, Cleveland regained control and retook the lead as they defeated New York 104-101.
The King’s late game heroics were huge, but the comeback wouldn’t have been possible without the impeccable shooting from three point sniper Kyle Korver. He finished the game with 21 points, but couldn’t take the lid off of the basket though the first three frames. Fortunately, Korver drained five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc for 19 points and left his prints all over the final period.
New York was incredibly close to making yet another statement win over one of the league’s best teams. However, on a night that saw Tim Hardaway Jr. and Enes Kanter combine for 48 points, Kristaps Porzingis was nowhere to be found.
Recording 20 points, seven rebounds and a singular block, The Unicorn failed to make a lasting impact on the primetime matchup. The Latvian center struggled throughout the game, shooting 33 percent from the field and 57 percent from the stripe. This showing won’t be one to remember, but in a season full of MVP performances, it’s likely to be an outlier.
One bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch, but Porzingis will need to put on a better display next time out. Standing at seven-foot-three, there’s simply no excuse for his inability to alter James’ game-tying shot in the closing seconds.
He can’t do it all, but that’s exactly what the Knicks have asked of him. Porzingis is a proud player and one of the best in the business, don’t be surprised if he gets his hands on that shot next time around.
