NEW YORK (AFP) – Damyean Dotson scored 27 points and the New York Knicks snapped their franchise-record home losing streak at 18 games with a 130-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.
New York Knicks forward Lance Thomas celebrates after sinking a three-point shot in the team’s stunning 130-118 win over the San Antonio Spurts on Sunday in New York. (AP)
The NBA win even attracted the attention of the 2019 Oscar presenter Samuel Jackson, who pointed out the result during Sunday’s show to Hollywood director Spike Lee before presenting Lee with the Best Adapted Screenplay award.
“The Knicks won tonight. I repeat, the Knicks won tonight,” Jackson said addressing Lee, a Knicks megafan.
Smith also had 13 assists and Knox had 10 rebounds, while rookie Mitchell Robinson finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs, who dropped to 1-6 on their road trip that ends Monday against the Brooklyn Nets.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points, but was limited to just 13 minutes through three quarters because of foul trouble.
The Spurs came in as the NBA’s best three-point shooting team but were just six for 24 from behind the arc.
The Knicks led by nine at halftime and then started to seize command in the third quarter to go up by 19 with just over two minutes left in the period.
San Antonio cut it to 94-83 entering the fourth but their troubles continued in the fourth.
RAPTORS FALL
Elsewhere, Terrence Ross torched his former team for a game-high 28 points and center Nikola Vucevic finished with 23 points and 12 assists as the Orlando Magic beat the Toronto Raptors 113-98.
Ross, who played over four seasons in Toronto, came off the bench to spark the Magic.
”He’s been great,” Vucevic said of Ross. ”When he scores for us like that, it just gives us a huge advantage.”
The Magic, who were coming off a disappointing loss to the Chicago Bulls at home on Friday, snapped the Raptors winning streak at seven games.
”This is the part of the season where you’ve got to move forward, no matter what,” Ross said. ”You’ve got to make sure that you’re ready to play.”
Ross made nine of 21 shots, including three of eight from three-point range. He equalled his season high with nine rebounds.
The Raptors, who played without star Kawhi Leonard, fell to 44-17 and slid two games behind Milwaukee for the best record in the NBA and the Eastern Conference. Leonard was rested to manage his workload, the Raptors said.
