How It Happened:The Knicks controlled both sides of the floor early and often against a Suns team that had won four of five heading into the Friday night contest. Defensively, New York limited the high-powered Phoenix attack to just 19 first quarter points while building a 13-point advantage. In the first half, the Knicks held the Suns to only 28.8 percent shooting from the floor and 26.7 percent behind the arc. Meanwhile, New York connected on 54.3 percent from the floor and Kristaps Porzingis paced the team as it led 65-50 at the break. Phoenix made a couple of runs to trim its deficit but the Knicks showed resiliency throughout the contest and bounced back nicely following a defeat to the Rockets on Wednesday night. With the win, New York moved to 4-4 and 4-1 in its last five outings.
Knick of the Night:Kristaps Porzingis delighted the home crowd with a myriad of highlight-reel plays to go along with an explosive 37-point performance. He’s now recorded 30-plus points in six of the Knicks first 8 games of the season. Tonight, the 7-3 rising star nearly shot 60 percent from the field, drilled 10-of-13 at the charity stripe, and hauled down seven boards.
Notables:Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 21 points, Enes Kanter posted a double-double (16p, 15r), and Doug McDermott registered 12 points, including a reverse slam in the second quarter.
Statistically Speaking: New York dominated the paint by outscoring the visiting team 62-42.
Next Up:The homestand continues this weekend as the Knicks return to the Garden for a Sunday night contest against the Pacers. Tipoff set for 7:30 PM on MSG Network.