On Wednesday night, it looked as though the New York Knicks were going to win their second game in a row as they took on a San Antonio Spurs team that was without Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox and will be for the rest of the season. But in what is looking like a running theme over the past few days, the Knicks fell in classic trap game fashion, suffering a 120-105 defeat in a game that they trailed for most of its duration.
In an unexpected twist in the tale, the Knicks fell behind by as many as 28 points, thanks in large part to the unconscious shooting performance from backup center Sandro Mamukelashvili, who had himself the game of his life on Wednesday night. Mamukelashvili, despite playing in just 19 minutes off the bench, put up 34 points thanks to a bonkers 13-14 shooting night from the field and a perfect 7-7 from beyond the arc.
After the game, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau called out his team’s defense, as they were very lackadaisical when it came to defending Mamukelashvili and the rest of the Spurs team that went 16-35 from beyond the arc.
“Defensively, we were a step behind. We got in a big hole. Tough to get out of,” Thibodeau said, per Philip Martinez of SNY. “Sometimes a guy can get hot. We got to make sure that he puts it down. Sandro had a great game, but we really didn’t take anything away. When our ball pressure got better in the third quarter, then our defense picked up. That’s how we have to play. As I said, we were a step behind all night.”
This is the kind of defensive performance that the Knicks cannot afford, especially with Jalen Brunson still on the mend due to an ankle injury, and they will want to redeem themselves tomorrow night when they take on the Charlotte Hornets.
Sandro Mamukelashvili tears up the Knicks
Sandro Mamukelashvili, prior to Wednesday night, had scored over 20 points in a single game just four times in his career. No one could have expected him to pop off for the Spurs to this degree, and in limited minutes off the bench, no less. Mamukelashvili certainly commanded more respect from the Knicks after that incredible performance.
“He’s in the NBA for a reason. He’s a good player and we weren’t focused enough or locked in enough to realize what was going on. The IQ wasn’t there,” Josh Hart admitted.
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