The Spurs grabbed an important 120-105 victory in San Antonio on March 19, 2025, considering the tough game against their state rivals, the New York Knicks. The poor performance rendered by the Knicks’ shot-making skills in the first half resulted in an unbridgeable distance for recovery.
Offensive Struggles in the First Half
Right from the start, the Knicks were struggling with their shooting. Only Karl-Anthony Towns scored a field goal during these initial 22 minutes from among the starters. Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and OG Anunoby missed 20 consecutive shots between them. Such failure at shooting allowed the Spurs to build an unbelievable lead of 28 points in the second quarter.
Spurs’ Rampant Performance
If there ever was a day for Sandro Mamukelashvili, it obviously was on this night, when he poured a personal-best 34 points into the hoop, 21 of them coming in a furious fourth quarter. He was devastatingly effective, shooting 13 for 14 from the field and a perfect 7 for 7 from the arc. In support, Stephon Castle added 22 points to the side.
Knicks’ Attempts and Tiredness
Calvin Anthony led the Knicks with 32 points and nine rebounds. Also, contributing a double-double, Mitchell Robinson scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. But despite these performances, the team’s shooting remained terrible, with a mere first-half field goal percentage of 31. They were thoroughly dominated on the boards as well, being out-rebounded 52-44. These faulty performances could have been influenced by the team’s rapid traveling routines.
The Knicks will have to work on their offensive inconsistency and player fatigue if they want to move forward in future bouts. For the remainder of the season, improving their shooting efficiency and rebounding will be critical.
