Porzingis' star shines bright as offensive tear continues
Unicorns are made of magic, and so is Kristaps Porzingis.
Now the undisputed face of the New York Knicks with Carmelo Anthony shooting up a storm in Oklahoma City, the 7-foot Latvian has clearly embraced his newfound role, and his team is reaping the rewards as a result.
Monday's 116-100 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden marked New York's third-straight win after opening the 2017-18 regular season on a three-game losing streak. It should come as no surprise that this stretch of success comes at a time when Porzingis looks nearly unstoppable on the offensive end.
The 22-year-old dropped a career-high 38 points against Denver, connecting on 14-of-26 from the field, 4-of-7 from 3-point range, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe in 34 minutes of action. He also added seven rebounds, a couple of dimes, and three rejections.
Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic had no answer for Porzingis, and was forced to switch off of him early in the first quarter after allowing him to drop 13 points, including three 3-pointers, in just five minutes and eight seconds. Even All-Star forward Paul Millsap couldn't handle Porzingis' length, which played a role in his awful 2-of-13 shooting performance.
Porzingis is now the first Knicks player in franchise history to score 30 or more points in five of the team's first six games.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Points | FGM-A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 19 | Thunder | 105-84 L | 31 | 11-of-25 |
| Oct. 21 | Pistons | 111-107 L | 33 | 11-of-20 |
| Oct. 27 | Nets | 107-86 W | 30 | 13-of-24 |
| Oct. 29 | Cavaliers | 114-95 W | 32 | 13-of-27 |
| Oct. 30 | Nuggets | 116-110 W | 38 | 14-of-26 |
(Courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)
"I think it comes with strength. Guys, they can't get under him now," Knicks head Jeff Hornacek said of Porzingis' expanded offensive game, according to The New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy. "He says 'OK, I'll just shoot right over the top of you.' The strength, is it letting him see the game moving a little slower for him now, his third year in the league? Is it the confidence he built in Europe basketball over the summer? I think all of that has contributed to that."
To cap off his evening, Knicks fans serenaded Porzingis with chants of "M-V-P" as he shot his free throws with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, securing the win.
(Image courtesy: Action Images)
Making 66 appearances last season, there were only three occasions when Porzingis had over 30 points. In fairness, a great deal of emphasis was still being put on Anthony, who accounted for a team-high 18.8 shot attempts per game.
That's no longer the case, of course, as the Knicks are now unleashing a Porzingis who has free reign to score to his heart's content, to the dismay of 29 other teams.
This is just the beginning.