The Knicks followed their road win against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 111-101 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. >> Box score
Things to know about Monday's game
1. Since their 8-16 start, the Knicks have lost 14 of their last 16 games and have the third-worst record in the league. They snapped their eight-game winning streak on Friday at Staples Center.
2. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored just five points on 2-of-12 shooting, while New York was outshot 47.1 percent to 40.4 percent. Enes Kanter scored 18 points and brought down 14 rebounds off the bench.
3. Jusuf Nurkic scored a game-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting while Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum both scored 17 points for the Trail Blazers, who have won four of their last five games.
4. The Knicks trailed 54-53 at halftime but Portland used a 16-6 run to take a double-digit lead. New York trailed by as many as 18 points midway through the fourth quarter.
Big man moves 😤 pic.twitter.com/4QiZ7qtR6o
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 8, 2019
💨💨💨 pic.twitter.com/qfqI9wA27x
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 8, 2019
Jake Brown | Twitter |
The third quarter doomed the Knicks tonight and the Trail Blazers never looked back. The Knicks couldn't knock down shots and were awful from downtown, making just 7 of 21 shots from beyond the arc. The Blazers made a 11 shots from 3-point range and shot 47.1 percent from the field. The Knicks didn't stand much of a chance coming into this game, given they are overmatched by the Blazers' big frontcourt and dynamic backcourt.
After a dozen straight games scoring in double figures, Kevin Knox was a huge disappointment. He couldn't knock down a shot, playing like the Knox from early on when he struggled mightily. He made one 3-pointer in garbage time and couldn't make another shot from the field in 22 minutes on the floor. Someone had to stuff the stat sheet for the Knicks, and that was really Kanter and a bit of Noah Vonleh. Outside of them, the Knicks just couldn't make buckets or get stops.
The loss puts the Knicks at 10-30, moving them into a tie with the Bulls for the third-worst record in the NBA. The only team as of now they need to worry about putting them out of the top three is the Hawks, who are 12-27. Knicks fans have to hope they stay in the bottom three if they want their chance at drafting prized prospect Zion Williamson.
What's next:
The Knicks end their four-game road trip when they face the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.