Durant was absent, Booker scored 33 points, Towns 34+10, and the Knicks suppressed the whole game, sending the Suns to 5 consecutive defeats

On November 21, Beijing time, the regular season of the 2024-25 season was underway, the Suns lost to the Knicks 122-138, the Suns suffered 5 consecutive defeats, and the Knicks ushered in 4 consecutive wins.

Statistics

Suns: Booker 33 points, Tyus Jones 15 points and 10 assists, Royce O'Neal 17 points, Nurkic 14 points and 12 rebounds

Knicks: Towns 34 points and 10 rebounds, Brunson 36 points and 10 assists, Anunoby 14 points, Hart 19 points and 11 rebounds

Background

The Knicks have been in good form lately, winning three straight games after beating the Wizards 134-106 in their last game, and are currently in fourth place in the East with an 8-6 record. Nie began to rank among the top three in the league in offensive efficiency, averaging 124.0 points per game during the three-game winning streak.

The Suns have been on a four-game losing streak and slipped to sixth place in the West with a 9-6 record, and the absence of Durant and Beal has had a serious impact on the Suns, averaging just 100.8 points per game during the four-game losing streak, including only 83 points against the Thunder.

Game recap

After the start of the game, the Knicks showed strong offensive firepower, Brunson, Anunoby and Bridges combined to shoot four three-pointers, and the Knicks made a 20-6 excellent start. At the critical moment, Nurkic scored five points alone, and Booker also completed the offense with the assistance of Jones. However, the Knicks' offense at this time played smoothly, and Brunson hit two more shots, and his personal scoring in this game has reached double digits. Hart and Anunoby also made contributions, and the Knicks extended their lead to as many as 19 points. Booker hit two straight shots as leader and Morris hit a three-pointer from the outside as the Suns trailed the Knicks 28-44 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Knicks continued to attack, and Anunoby hit 2 free throws to help the team rewrite the score to 57-39. Jones' jumper helped the Suns stabilize their position, and O'Neal hit a three-pointer from beyond the arc to cut the deficit to 13 points. The Knicks did not show weakness, and Brunson scored 10 consecutive points to help the team continue to widen the difference. The Suns relied on three-pointers from Nurkic and Okogie to tie the score to 58-76 at the end of the first half.

When the Knicks extended their lead to 23 points, Olney, Jones and Dunn combined for five three-pointers to tie the score to 77-88. The Knicks immediately called a halt and the game restarted, with Hart, Brunson and Towns teaming up for three three-pointers to give the Knicks a 103-84 lead. The Suns didn't give up, Jones made another contribution from the outside, and Booker scored four points on consecutive free throws. At the end of the third quarter, the Suns trailed 93-110.

In the final quarter, the Knicks continued their ferocious offense, and Bridges hit a three-pointer to rewrite the score to 117-96. The Suns didn't give up, and Nurkic and Booker teamed up to hit two three-pointers to lead the team to 109-124. But the Knicks didn't give the Suns any chance to turn the game around and eventually get a big win.

Starting line-ups for both sides

Suns: Devin Booker, Tyus Jones, Royce O'Neal, Ryan Dunn, Nurkic

Knicks: Carl Anthony Towns, Brunson, Bridges, O.G. Anunoby, Josh Hart