New York Knicks Takeaways From Loss To San Antonio Spurs

Player Of The Game: Kristaps Porzingis

Nov 2, 2015; New York, NY, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) drives against New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

This was an easy decision. Porzingis had the best game of his young career against arguably his toughest opponent. Battling with LaMarcus Aldridge and Tim Duncan most of the night, Porzingis didn’t look awestruck; he took it right at them all night.

While he struggled with foul trouble, Porzingis had a major impact on the game. He may have struggled defending Aldridge one-on-one in the post, but that is something even seasoned veterans struggle to do. That didn’t affect his effort level though, as Porzingis was active defensively. He racked up three steals and two blocks, as his length continues to cause problems.

The most impressive stat may have been his rebounding numbers. Porzingis pulled down a team-high 14 despite playing only 24 minutes. Eight of them were of the offensive variety, as Porzingis kept multiple possessions alive for the Knicks early on when their offense wasn’t clicking. It helped him in recording his first career double-double, as he also scored 13 points to round out his stat line.

He also provided the two highlights of the night for the Knicks, throwing down a monster putback dunk over Aldridge, and doing his best Julius Erving impersonation early in the game.

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