Nets 109, Knicks 99: Scenes from Mitch Creek’s first NBA minutes

If you love headaches, this was the game for you. The Knicks came out blazing with 37 points in the first quarter. Over the next two quarters Brooklyn steadily wrested control. First they grabbed the tool, then they punctured the heart. In the fourth quarter, with the Knicks leaking profusely, the Nets drank the blood.

It was really fun in the early going, Jarrett Allen refused to guard Noah Vonleh. So the S’Noah-plow lit his ass up.

When Vonleh wasn’t picking them off from deep, he rumbled, turned and twisted his way to buckets on the interior. He even got his career high with 22 points. Here he is breaking his previous high of 16.

Of course, it wasn’t all puppies and ice cream, obviously. The frustration started with foul trouble for Frank Ntilikina and it ended with every single second Trey Burke was on the court. When Frank is playing, the ball moves on offense, it shifts the defense and the Knicks can get cooking.

Then there’s the defensive side of the ball, where, well...

His defense turns into offense.

Time and time again. When Ntilikina is surrounded by other good defenders, the Knicks are an intimidating bunch. The combo of Ntilikina and Mitchell Robinson blitzing your pick and roll is terrifying. If you try to get them stationed on the weak side it doesn’t even matter, because this type of stuff happens:

If you manage to force a switch it doesn’t matter because this type of stuff happens:

If you can get live ball turnovers you can get momentum the other way...

Anyway, the Knicks still stunk. Thats the eighth consecutive loss. Another Robert Randolph twinged meltdown. Full recap from my main doo doo stain, Alex Wolfe, is on the horizon.

Mitch Creek got minutes.