New York Knicks Takeaways From Loss To San Antonio Spurs

Matchup Of The Game Recap

Nov 2, 2015; New York, NY, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives on New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to the game, we listed some of our keys to the game. One of those keys is pinpointing the matchup of the game. For this one, we picked the matchup between top-flight small forwards; Carmelo Anthony for the Knicks and Kawhi Leonard for the Spurs. This was a pretty lopsided affair, as Leonard dominated on both ends of the court.

Leonard locked up Anthony, as the Knicks leading scorer struggled with his shot once again. After pouring in 37 points on the Washington Wizards over the weekend, Leonard helped hold Anthony to an inefficient 19 points on 4-of-17 from the field and 1-of-3 from deep. Anthony made his most damage at the foul line, where he was 10-of-12.

Leonard had one steal and four blocks on the night, as they continued to try and attack the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and best wing defender in the world. He defends the best scorer on the opposing team every night, normally shutting them down, and tonight was no different.

Leonard was also efficient offensively, making half his shots for 18 points. He also added a game-high 14 rebounds, as he impacted the game in multiple ways. This is now Leonard’s team, as he can dominate offensively if need be, but makes his biggest impact on the defensive end of the court.

Leonard easily won this matchup, and is a big reason that the Spurs came out on top.

Next: Player Of The Game