Knicks Routed by Thunder in Season Opener

The NBA season is in full swing for the New York Knicks. The team opened up the season Thursday night in Oklahoma City to face off against the Thunder.

It was a bit of a reunion as former Knick Carmelo Anthony suited up for OKC against his old squad. The Knicks were able to hold their own for the better part of two and a half quarters. Half way through the third, the game got away from New York.

Simply put, the Knicks were outmatched.

Kristaps Porzingis put in work for the Knicks by scoring 31 points, along with 12 rebounds. He solidified the fact that he will be a star for this team. The rest of the team on the other hand, needs to step up. The only other double-digit scorer for the Knicks was Enes Kanter, who added 10 points. Kyle O’Quinn chipped in 10 rebounds.

New York turned the ball over 25 times, helping Oklahoma City widen the 21 point gap between final scores.

The Thunder had four players score double-digits, namely their big three of Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. Westbrook picked up his first triple-double of the season with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists. The combined effort of those three players lifted Oklahoma City past the Knicks. Most notably, Anthony scored 22 points against his former team, truly displaying that the game must go on.

The overall takeaway from first game was that Knicks still have a lot to learn.

It’s clear that the Thunder were overly stacked compared to the Knicks, but that is just the nature of the game today. The NBA is permeated with super teams like the Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors.

The Knicks are simply going to have to learn how to play better together. There are a lot of new faces on the team, but since the season is still young that doesn’t have to be a detriment. The Knicks, with Kristaps as their face, can be a good team. They just have to learn how play together before they can win together.