NEW YORK — The New York Knicks are off to a strong start in their matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Monday, leading by 23 points at halftime. The Suns lead 54-31 after two played quarters.
Jalen Brunson led the way for the Knicks with 16 points, 5-9 shooting, and 4 assists, while Julius Randle contributed 11 points and 8 rebounds. Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes also chipped in with 8 points each.
New York which led by as many as 32 points, used a 21-0 run to surge out to the big lead. Read more: Knicks vs Suns starting lineups; follow live!
On the Suns side, Deandre Ayton had a solid first half with 12 points and 6-11 shooting from the field, and Mikal Bridges added 8 points on 2-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
Phoenix struggled with their shooting overall, going 14-42 (33.3%) from the field and 3-17 (17.6%) from 3-point range. Chris Paul had a rough first half, going 0-4 from the field and scoring no points.
The Phoenix point guard will need to step up in the second half if the Suns hope to make a comeback.
New York shot 19-40 (47.5%) from the field and 8-17 (47.1%) from beyond the arc. The Knicks will look to maintain their lead in the second half, while the Suns will try to mount a comeback.
In the paint, the Knicks outscored the Suns 16-10, and also had a slight edge in second chance points, 7-8. New York also scored 2 fast break points, while the Suns were held scoreless in this category.
Both teams had several players inactive for the game, including Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Jae Crowder, and Cameron Johnson, and the Knicks’ RJ Barrett, Derrick Rose, and Obi Toppin.
