The New York Knicks trailed by as many as nine against the San Antonio Spurs in the first of five NBA games on Christmas Day. However, forward Mikal Bridges, who is playing in his first season as a Knick, scored 41 points, including nailing six three-pointers, and the orange and white walked out of Madison Square Garden with a 117-114 win.
“I was just being aggressive and staying ready,” Bridges said after the game. “I was just trying to win, honestly, and be aggressive. Either score or pass and hopefully try to get a stop on the other end.”
Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 second-year forward, scored 42 points in his first of what should be many Christmas games for the Frenchman, who turns 21 next week.
Knicks win with ‘better basketball’
“We were close but lacked some attributes at times, and we were right there, it was a really close game,” Wembanyama said. “I don’t think it was a game about momentum. I think it was a game about being dogs when the clock starts going down, under five minutes, three minutes, we let them get some rebounds on us, we let them move us a bit too much … so this is what the game was about. They did win against us because they did play better basketball.”
“(Wembanyama’s) different,” Josh Hart of the Knicks said after the game. “League will be in good hands when all the old guys are done, and they hang it up. Once they leave, the league will be in good hands with him, Ant [Edwards].”
Hart then discussed the improvement of Wembanyama.
Wemby has improved, rivals say
“He definitely has improved, his shot has gotten a lot better,” Hart said. “I think last year, me personally, I think sometimes he settled a bit. Unless it’s Rudy [Gobert or] KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns] maybe, a lot of his shots are uncontested. His release point is so high. … His ability to knock down shots, not just threes but deep threes, it opens everything up for them. He has improved a lot, offensively and defensively. He’s a special player.”
Towns added, “He’s utilizing his God-given traits, that what makes him special defensive player as well, his ability to cover space, he’s athletic to move quick enough to get to the spot and obviously his God-given traits, he’s tall enough to alter shots so, he’s been blessed by God and utilizing his talent for his family and the Spurs organization.”
The Spurs will stay in New York to face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, while the Knicks head to Florida to face the Orlando Magic.
