The Knicks fell to the Phoenix Suns 121-98 on Thursday night, and have now lost seven of their last eight games. >> Box Score

Five things to know from Thursday's game

1) The Knicks came out of the opening gates strong and lead by seven points after the first quarter. In the second period, though, the tides started to change, with the Suns outscoring New York 33-20 in the second frame. The second half was much of the same, as the Knicks allowed 33 Phoenix points in the third quarter, and the game was basically decided early on in the fourth quarter. The Knicks were outscored by 30 points over the final three quarters of play.

The Knicks were outrebounded by the Suns 53-41 and also turned the ball over 17 times.

2) Marcus Morris made his return to the floor after missing five games with a sore neck. In 33 minutes, Morris scored 17 points on 4-11 shooting. He was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

3) Julius Randle was the best player on the floor for the Knicks on Thursday, but he didn't have a very efficient game. The power forward ended up with 26 points on 11-of-24 shooting. Randle added seven rebounds and also had four assists.

4) Late in the third quarter, RJ Barrett limped off the floor after landing awkwardly. Barrett had been on a tear as of late, averaging 18.4 points over his last five games. The Knicks later announced that Barrett had sprained his right ankle and would not return. He finished with seven points, three rebounds, and two assists.

5) Three Suns players scored 20-plus points on Thursday night, led by Devin Booker, who scored 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Meanwhile, Ricky Rubio had a fantastic game with 25 points and 13 assists, while Deandre Ayton had 26 points and 21 rebounds.

Highlights

10 points already for @J30_RANDLE 💪

(via @nyknicks)pic.twitter.com/R5U3fFJXRj
- Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 17, 2020

Never gets old 🔨 pic.twitter.com/nqZJFfSX2C
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 17, 2020

Mitch out here looking like a free safety pic.twitter.com/P9Qh2sqQrk
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 17, 2020

RJ finds a way pic.twitter.com/rBLCMaG8V8
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 17, 2020

What's next

The Knicks will host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Garden on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 7:30PM.

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