Knicks end Simmons’ run, Thybulle thrives for Blazers
Murray Wenzel |
It took 16 games, but Ben Simmons has finally lost to the New York Knicks.
Jalen Brunson made sure to bury the quirky stat with 17 of his 40 points in the third quarter, the hosts pulling away from Brooklyn in a 124-106 victory on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
It was New York’s first win over Brooklyn since January 2020, ending a nine-game stretch. And they hadn’t beaten a team featuring Simmons since he entered the league with Philadelphia in 2017.
Not that the Australian had much of a say this time, playing just 12 minutes in his reduced role off the bench and collecting just three rebounds, two points and two assists.
Compatriot Patty Mills was unused by coach Jacque Vaughn as a second-straight loss took the Nets to 33-24 and a distant fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Matisse Thybulle (14 points, six rebounds) flourished in his Portland debut, hitting four-of-six triples and swatting one of his three blocks well back into his new home crowd in a 127-115 defeat of Los Angeles.
Thybulle was traded from Philadelphia, where he only made more than three triples once in 245 games.
Damian Lillard connected on eight three-pointers in his 40-point haul for the Blazers against the LeBron James-less Lakers.
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder’s Isaiah Joe watched his high-arcing triple to tie the game hit the back of the iron as time expired in a 103-100 loss to New Orleans.
Josh Giddey (17 points, seven rebounds, four assists) was busy late in the contest with a series of tough, mid-range floaters.
The loss pushed them two wins behind Utah, who occupy the final spot in the West’s play-in bracket.
Josh Green (six points, four rebounds, four assists), a starter alongside recruit Kyrie Irving, hounded the boards as Dallas mounted a late comeback at home against Minnesota.
But Irving (36 points) and superstar teammate Luka Doncic (33 points, 12 rebounds) lost possession while combining to concoct a late game-tying three as the Timberwolves won 124-121.
Rudy Gobert (21 points, 14 rebounds) and Anthony Edwards (32 points) did the damage for the visitors.
AAP
