The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns during training camp gave the New York Knicks a chance to team up another great scorer with Jalen Brunson, who stood out as an offensive player last season and helped elevate the Knicks in the Eastern Conference.
While it will take time for their skills to blend, the Knicks — who will continue their four-game road trip on Monday against the Houston Rockets — have already seen hints of what could happen when Towns or Brunson are performing well together.
Just two days after Towns scored 44 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a nine-point road win against the Miami Heat, Brunson scored 36 points and had five assists in a 128-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
The Knicks seem to be only beginning to show their offensive potential. Defensively, their reputation under coach Tom Thibodeau remains strong. A key player in that defense is versatile forward OG Anunoby, who contributed significantly against the Pistons alongside Brunson.
Anunoby recorded 21 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals in that win. When he joined the Knicks through a trade last season, his impact was immediate. Although injuries limited his effectiveness in the playoffs, it’s now clear how important Anunoby will be as he settles in.
“I love the way OG played,” Thibodeau said. “I thought his activity was phenomenal for us.
“I think his teammates, his coaches, the organization — we know how valuable he is to us. He’s really invaluable.”
Inconsistency is the main topic for the Rockets, who followed a road win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday — where they nearly lost a 23-point lead — with a 127-121 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Houston made a comeback from a 31-point deficit against the Warriors to force overtime, even taking a one-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The ups and downs began in their first game. The Rockets lost to the Charlotte Hornets after giving up an 18-point lead but then bounced back with a 20-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
They never trailed during their 106-101 road win against the San Antonio Spurs on October 28, but they had to hold on after leading by 21 points late in the third quarter.
This erratic play has made it hard to define the Rockets. Their unpredictable performances lead to mixed feelings about whether to admire their determination or criticize them for falling behind or losing big leads.
“Inconsistency is obviously not a good thing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “The fact that you either build a lead or fight back from a deficit, there are some positives to it. On the flip side is letting leads slip away or getting yourself in a big hole.
“The thing we talk about is being more consistent coming in and we’ve been anything but that. We’ve pretty much played halves all year other than the Dallas game where we played three good quarters.”
Houston defeated the Knicks 105-103 on February 12 to end an eight-game losing streak in their matchups.
