The Knicks learned that any time is Dame Time, as the point guard went off in Portland to lead the Blazers to a blowout 115-87 win. >> Box Score
Five things to know from Tuesday's game
1) New York did a good job of keeping last week's Western Conference Player of the Week Carmelo Anthony at bay on Tuesday night. The former Knick finished with 16 points amid struggling with his shot -- Anthony went 5-13 from the field.
But the Knicks forgot that Portland was Damian Lillard's town, and the star point guard made sure they knew it. The four-time All-Star was electric from beyond the arc, hitting 8-of-12 three-point shots and overall shooting 60 percent from the field to finish with 31 points in the win. Lillard still managed to dish out six assists in between lighting it up from three-point range.
2) Julius Randle led the Knicks in their efforts with 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal, but New York as a unit had a rough go shooting the ball in their first game of this long West Coast trip. The Knicks shot a poor 34.4 percent from the field and an even worse 18.4 from percent from three.
3) Rookie guard RJ Barrett had an off night on Tuesday in his first trip out west, putting up just five points on 1-of-9 shooting and four rebounds in one of his rougher games as a Knick.
4) It seems interim head coach Mike Miller may want to try changing up his starting lineup -- specifically at center -- going forward. Taj Gibson has started at the five for the Knicks as of late, but the veteran forward typically sees less minutes than the only pure center on the team -- Mitchell Robinson.
Tuesday night, Gibson finished with zero points after missing both his shot attempts, grabbed four boards and had two assists in 16 minutes of play. Meanwhile, Robinson finished with 14 points on 5-8 shooting and added five rebounds in his 27 minutes off the bench. Flipping when these players enter the game could be a better strategy for Miller as he tries to figure out a rotation that will work.
5) The Knicks have now lost 10 games straight and hold the worst record in the league. With the NBA Draft Lottery no longer giving the worst team the sole best odds at the No. 1 pick, the Knicks will need to look at other places besides for the draft if they hope to change things around fast.
Highlights
Attack the rack!
- Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 11, 2019
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/HTigH1XrU9
What's next
The Knicks will face the Warriors in California in a battle between the two worst teams in the league Wednesday night at Oracle Arena at 10:30 p.m.
