Knicks 109, Wizards 91: Scenes from a sloppy, costly victory

The Washington Wizards are butt, and they were even more butt on Friday night as their best player, Bradley Beal, sat out for load management. The New York Knicks took care of business against this booty crew, 109-91, though the game was disturbingly close for a while, and a costly victory moving forward.

The first half belonged to Mitchell Robinson, who tied a career high with 14 rebounds before halftime.

But the good times wouldn’t last for Mitch. He didn’t come out for the third quarter, and fans were soon bombarded with some terrible news.

With Mitch out, the Knicks came out waaaaay too lethargic to start the second half. At one point, the Wizards cut an 11-point deficit down to 3, though Julius Randle (24 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists) kept the Wiz at bay with a couple of three-pointers.

The game turned from a nail-biter to a laugher once the second unit took over. Derrick Rose (14 points, 6 assists, 4 steals) and Immanuel Quickley (16 points) spearheaded the charge. Rose and Taj Gibson, another wily old Bull, carved up the Wiz.

All in all, this wasn’t a fun game. The injury is a killer, and the Knicks played down to their competition for much of the contest. Let’s hope for a speedy recovery for Mitch. Recap to come.