Knicks fail biggest test yet as nine-game winning streak ends with brutal loss to Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY — For parts of a big Friday night in Knicks land, Tom Thibodeau’s squad was more than hanging with the red-hot Thunder.It was, especially in the second quarter, shredding the top-ranked defense.But when it came down to brass tacks — when the clock hit winning time in the fourth quarter — the Thunder flexed their superior depth with their MVP candidate and the Knicks couldn’t keep up in a 117-107 defeat.A pair of Jalen Brunson turnovers proved pivotal in the final three-plus minutes, as Shai-Gilgeous Alexander took over to cap his 33-point, seven-assist performance.
Off the bench, Oklahoma City’s Aaron Wiggins outscored New York’s reserves by himself, 19-5.The Knicks are thin and it showed Friday.The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Knicks (24-11), who were gunning for their first double-digit streak since 2013.
The Thunder (29-5), a juggernaut in the West, won their 14th consecutive.And in the end, the Knicks did well but ultimately failed their big test.For the last month-plus, they breezed through the cake part of their schedule, feasting on the bottom dwellers while winning nine straight and 19 of their previous 23.It was the first time since 2000 that teams faced off with concurrent winning streaks of nine games apiece.The previous time was Scottie Pippen’s Blazers versus Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers.So the evening carried a big-game feel, and it represented, without question, an important measuring stick for a Knicks squad still trying to earn respect as a legitimate contender.The Thunder had already earned more national respect.“They’re the No.
1 defense and they’ve been playing really good all year,” Towns said.“Just past the defense aspect, they’ve been playing really good basketball.
And we’ve been playing great basketball.So it’s a good time for both of us to meet up with each other and get to test our skills.”The test looked good.After a tight opening quarter, the Knicks unleashed their ...