The New York Knicks were left with a sour taste in their mouths after squandering a 23-point lead in their last outing.
Losers of 11 of their past 14 contests, the Knicks aim for a better result on Monday when they open a four-game homestand against the sputtering Oklahoma City Thunder.
“We’ve just got to find a way to get that done,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said following Saturday’s 112-103 setback to the Portland Trail Blazers. “That’s what toughness is about. That’s why competitiveness, toughness, all that matters. Discipline.”
The Knicks made just 3 of 18 shots in the fourth quarter as they were outscored 35-11 by the Trail Blazers. New York finished its five-game, eight-day road trip with a 1-4 record despite holding double-digit leads in three of those losses.
“It just fell apart,” said Kemba Walker, who made four 3-pointers to highlight his 23-point performance. “Tough trip for us, it wasn’t good. We had one good win. We were hoping to build off that win, but unfortunately we didn’t. Obviously, it just wasn’t a really good trip for us.”
Julius Randle scored just four of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, much to his chagrin.
“It was bad,” said Randle, who also had 16 rebounds and six assists. “We were rolling pretty much the whole game. We have to finish the trip off. End of story. I don’t care what it is. Up 20-plus in the third, got to finish it off.”
Randle leads the team in points (19.4), rebounds (10.2) and assists (5.2).
RJ Barrett, who averages 18 points a game, has missed New York’s last two contests due to a sprained left ankle. On New Year’s Eve, when the Knicks lost in Oklahoma City, 95-80, Barrett had 26 points for New York.
Oklahoma City, however, has followed up that win by losing 17 of 21 games. The Thunder dropped their fifth straight decision Saturday with a 106-101 loss to the Bulls in Chicago.
“I don’t like the excuse that we’re young, inexperienced,” Darius Bazley said. “I really don’t care. … I’m just frustrated that we lost. We had the game in a grip, and I thought we could have won it.”
Luguentz Dort scored 31 points and rookie Josh Giddey recorded his second triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to notch a triple-double on Jan. 2.
“As Coach Mark (Daigneault) would say — skittles,” said Giddey, who leads the team in rebounds (7.7) and assists (6.2).
“I would have been happier if it came in a win, but my teammates do a good job of getting in the right spots, making shots so they make me look good.”
Giddey and company have been asked to do more with leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined by an ankle injury. Gilgeous-Alexander, who averages 22.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds, is out until at least after the All-Star break.
