Knicks Takeaways from Monday's 121-115 loss, including a fourth-quarter comeback that fell short

The Knicks' record drops to 7-24 with the loss

12/24/2019, 2:34 AM
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The Knicks were unable to take advantage of facing an extremely shorthanded Wizards team, losing at Madison Square Garden on Monday, 121-115. >> Box Score

Five things to know from Monday's game

1) They say the NBA is a game of runs, and nowhere was that more evident than in Monday's game. The Knicks led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, but by halftime the Wizards had cut the lead to one. Washington then opened up the second half with 13 straight points to open up a 77-64 lead, which the Knicks got down to a three-point game by the end of the third quarter. But the Wizards took over again in the fourth and the Knicks -- despite another run late to make it a one-possession game -- were never able to fully recover.

 

2) Neither team was shy about shooting the ball from long-range on Monday. The Knicks shot 15-for-36 (42.9 percent) while the Wizards went 10-for-30 (33.3 percent). Damyean Dotson chipped in off the bench with five threes, part of his 19 points on the night. Julius Randle knocked down four threes and led the Knicks with 35 points. 

3) With a total of eight players on the Wizards roster out due to either injury or suspension, the team that took on the Knicks on Monday was fairly depleted. Washington signed Gary Payton II out of the G-League prior to the game, and he contributed with 10 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes. He was also very active defensively, leading all players with six steals. Troy Brown Jr. came off the bench and finished with 26 points.

4) With limited talent around him, Bradley Beal had even more of the ball in his hands than he normally would, and he took advantage. The 26-year-old poured in 30 points -- though he did take a career-high 38 shots -- to lead the Wizards. 

5) Elfrid Payton started his second straight game at point guard for the Knicks and had 12 assists to back up his 10-assist performance on Saturday. Frank Ntilikina is back in a bench role and played just 11 minutes in the loss.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks get a rare Christmas Day off, but will return to action on Thursday when they head to Barclays Center for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff with the Nets.

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