The New York Knicks began a new era on Wednesday night.
Opening night marked the first time that newcomer Jalen Brunson played for the New York team, and fans were expecting big things.
Everyone knew that the first game wouldn’t be a breeze because the team was playing against the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the end, it wasn’t easy and it didn’t result in the outcome they wanted but there were some bright spots in the team’s 115-112 loss to Memphis.
Jalen Brunson solid Knicks debut.
15 PTS
6 REB
9 AST
0 TOVNo Knick starter had a game with 9+ assists on 0 turnovers in the last 2 seasons. Jalen Brunson had it after 1 game. pic.twitter.com/YNp3aaANOY
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 20, 2022
The brightest spot was Brunson himself, who scored 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists, with 0 turnovers.
No Knick starter has had a game with 9+ assists on 0 turnovers in the last two seasons.
As for Brunson, he achieved this during his first game.
No, the Knicks didn’t walk away with the win but fans are still feeling hopeful after what they saw.
Nitty Gritty Knicks
There were some people who felt that the Knicks would lose by a whole lot more than 3 on Wednesday night.
Those people were pleased to see that Knicks had a lot of fight in them, especially against such a challenging team.
Don’t forget that the Grizzlies were the second-best team in the West last year, they’re not easy to take down.
Brunson and his Knicks weren’t able to grind out a win but they did push the game into overtime and that says something.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau was happy with what he saw too, saying, “I love the fight that we had. I didn’t like how we got there, but I loved how we fought to get back out of it.”
In the weeks ahead, the Knicks will need to keep that fighting spirit strong because they do have something special, especially with Brunson ready to keep impressing.
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