PHOENIX — In Jeff Hornacek’s return to Phoenix, Derrick Rose returned to the trainer’s table, and Kristaps Porzingis showed more anger than he has in his brief Knicks’ career.
Porzingis pushed Suns rookie Marquese Chriss in the third quarter and had to be restrained by his teammates in what was a very wild game.
The Knicks showed fight, but the Suns fought harder and pulled out a 113-111 overtime victory in Hornacek’s first game back in Phoenix since being fired 10 months ago.
It was a disappointing loss for the surging Knicks, who had won 11 of their last 15 and lost Rose in the first quarter due to back spasms. The Suns improved to just 8-17.
Rose was fouled on his way to the basket in the first quarter, and came down hard on his back. He left the game shortly after making his two foul shots. Those were Rose’s only points of the game.
Porzingis fouled out with 1:34 left in overtime with 34 points and eight rebounds. Kyle O’Quinn provided a huge lift off the bench with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Courtney Lee added 14.
Carmelo Anthony had a rough night. He shot just 3-for-15 and finished with 13 points. He also had his shot blocked by Devin Booker, and then crumbled to the ground.
Eric Bledsoe scored 31 points and had eight assists for Phoenix. Chriss had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and onetime Knick Tyson Chandler had a 13-point, 23-rebound night.
With the Suns leading 113-110 in the final seconds of overtime, Phoenix intentionally fouled O’Quinn with four seconds left.
He made the first but missed the second on purpose. The Suns rebounded. P.J. Tucker was fouled with 1.2 seconds left. He made the first and missed the second on purpose. O’Quinn rebounded but his three-quarter heave was well short.
An irate Porzingis pushed Chriss and had to be held back by Joakim Noah with 8:54 left in the first half. Porzingis normally doesn’t show that type of anger. But he and Chriss had gone at each other for a few possessions before things got heated.
Porzingis was running down the court after he contested and affected a Chriss shot, and fell over Eric Bledsoe. Simultaneously, Chriss pulled Porzingis down. He jumped up and shoved Chriss in the chest. Knicks security guards immediately ran on the court to make sure things didn’t escalate.
After the dust settled and the officials reviewed the play, Porzingis, Brandon Jennings, Chriss and Bledsoe received technicals. Chriss was whistled for a Flagrant Foul 1.
The Suns struck first in the overtime as Chandler scored on a put-back. Kyle O’Quinn tied it and then Porzingis gave the Knicks a 105-103 lead. Eric Bledsoe tied it with a layup in transition after a Brandon Jennings turnover.
Porzingis put the Knicks on top 108-105 with a three-point, but then he fouled out on the Suns’ next possession. He committed his sixth on Devin Booker, who knocked down both free throws to bring the Suns within one.
After O’Quinn missed a jumper in the lane, Bledsoe hit a pull-up baseline jumper to give Phoenix a 109-108 lead with 59.9 seconds remaining. Anthony made a rare shot to give to the Knicks a 110-109 lead. But Bledsoe scored on a scooping layup with 30 seconds to go.
Anthony had another chance to give the Knicks the lead by his jumper hit nothing. O’Quinn rebounded it, but it ended up being a shot-clock violation, giving the Suns the ball back with six seconds left.
The Knicks fouled Booker right away, and he made both free throws with 5.2 seconds left to make it 113-110.
Hornacek put a lot of faith in his bench Tuesday night. He played four subs, including seldom-used guard Ron Baker with Rose out, and Porzingis for a long stretch in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks were down 12 when the fourth started and led 97-95 by the time Anthony returned with 3:20 remaining.
The Knicks had a four-point possession — all four coming on free throws — and led 101-95 with 2:57 to go.
But they came up empty on their next two trips — Baker missed a layup and committed a turnover. The Suns eventually tied the game at 101 on two free throws by Chandler with 1:46 to go.
Hornacek brought in Brandon Jennings after that, but Porzingis missed a bank shot. Bledsoe misfired on the other end. With another chance to take the lead Anthony couldn’t convert a jumper from the right wing.
After Booker’s couldn’t connect on a three-pointer with 18.8 seconds left in regulation, the Knicks set up for a last shot. The ball went to Porzingis, but his attempt from the wing fell short.
The Knicks trailed by 14 in the final minute of the third. But they charged back behind O’Quinn. He led a 15-2 run to open the fourth that put the Knicks up 88-87 with 7:42 left. O’Quinn scored seven and Justin Holiday six.
After Bledsoe put the Suns back up by one, Holiday threw a lob to Porzingis that he dunked over Chriss. On the next Knicks’ trip, Porzingis crossed over on Chriss and then buried the jumper to make it 92-89.
After a tip in by Chandler, Porzingis drilled a three-pointer to give the Knicks a 95-91 lead with 4:54 to go.
Rose was talking before the game about how dangerous the Knicks could be offensively if they ran more pick-and-rolls with him and Anthony. He said it would make them even harder to defend and prepare for since they have a lot of weapons and options and they’re not a finished product yet.
“We’re just getting used to each other,” Rose said. “As long as we’re on the court we’ll figure it out.”
That’s been somewhat of an issue lately because of Rose’s back.
He initially felt the spasms in Miami last week and left the game in the second half. After missing the next two, Rose came back strong, shooting 12-for-16 and scoring 25 points in Sunday’s win over the Lakers.
But Rose got off to a rough start before the back spasms flared up after the fall. So did the Knicks, who fell behind by 11 in the first quarter and were down 46-32 with 6:55 left in the half.
The Knicks went on an 11-0 run to get within 46-43. Porzingis had six and Courtney Lee the other five.
But the Knicks only had one field goal in the last 4:42 and were down 54-46 at the half. They also missed their last six free throws, over the final 2:24. Joakim Noah bricked the final five.
..... - Newsday