After fighting back from a 12-point deficit, the Knicks had a shot to hand San Antonio its first home loss of the season. As time expired, Jose Calderon’s 3-pointer from the corner glanced off the rim, but Derek Fisher’s team returns to New York with a 2-1 record on the road trip after two impressive wins and tonight’s hard-fought loss.
Kristaps Porzingis led all scorers with 28 points, besting the Spurs’ decorated front line of Tim Duncan and LaMarcus Aldridge with an array of moves throughout the night. Carmelo Anthony finished with 20 points and 12 boards, including a step-back jumper in the final minutes that helped the Knicks close the gap. His pass to set up Calderon gave New York a chance to win on the final possession.
It was a total team effort to claw back against the team with the second-best record in the NBA. Arron Afflalo scored six of his eight points in the 4th quarter, including a 3-pointer from the top of the key with a hand in his face down the stretch.
Langston Galloway and Lance Thomas delivered 11 and 10 points off the bench, respectively, in addition to stout defense against the Spurs’ potent offense.
