OG Game-Winning 3! Bridges D! Mitch Huge Rebound! NY 114 Memphis 113

March 1, 2025 LouV 2024-25 0
OG Anunoby hits the game-winning 3 with 4 seconds left.

Jalen Brunson drove the lane, drew the defense, and fed a perfect pass to OG Anunoby on the left side who nailed a HUGE 3 with 4 seconds left to give the Knicks a 114-113 lead — and then Mikal Bridges snuffed a Ja Morant drive and Mitchell Robinson hauled down the HUGE rebound as the buzzer sounded and the Knicks had a 114-113 heart-attack win over the Grizzlies in Memphis on a Friday night.

Brunson had just hit a CLUTCH 3-pointer with 24 seconds left to give the Knicks a 111-110 lead — but Morant followed with a drive-and-1 to put Memphis on top by 2 pts with 14 seconds left.

It was a battle between two teams with identical 38-20 records coming in — the Knicks #3 in the East and Memphis #2 in the West. NY wins to go 39-20 and are now the #4 team in the NBA by their lonesome (Denver is now #2 in the West at 39-21, while Memphis falls to 38-21).

It was a tight game throughout, Denver maintaining a single-digit lead that they pushed to 12 points in the 3rd quarter before NY got back to within 6 pts entering the 4th quarter. The Knicks finally gained the lead with 10 minutes left, and then it was a dogfight to the end.

“What I loved about the end of the game is that it was great team play,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “What you can’t get lost in is the screen that Josh set — very unselfish but a great, great screen — and then Jalen getting into the paint, and finding OG — and OG relocating to find the space and then hitting the shot. Just trusting the pass. I though OG’s defense all night was fantastic. Getting Mitch back was a big plus for us as well.”

1. The Return of Mitch Robinson

This was the game Knick fans were waiting for — the return of Mitchell Robinson, who hadn’t played since he was forced out of the playoffs last year with a broken ankle and then underwent surgery.

The Knicks have teased all season that Mitch would be ready in December, and then January, and then February — but the plan all along seemed to be to bring him back at the end of February and let him play the month of March to get his legs under him and then the playoffs. Less risk that way for both him and the team.

Reports were that Mitch has been super ready — in great shape and looking good in practice — and so here we were on February 28 — literally the last day of February — and Mitch was back.

And he was back with a bang.

Mitch entered with 7:17 left in the 1st quarter and immediately made an impact on the game with an offensive rebound, defense, and then a SLAM DUNK on a drive.

Mitch ended the game with the HUGE defensive rebound and finished the night with 12 minutes, 3-4 shooting for 6 pts, 5 rebounds, and a team-high +11. Unfortunately Mitch’s return meant Precious Achiuwa only got 4 minutes — just after his 4-block-shot game.

2. Eddy Too Big — KAT Early Foul Trouble

And boy did the Knicks need Mitch and his size — as Memphis has Zach Edey, the pretty talented 7’4 monster who was the #9 pick in last June’s draft. Edey scored 37 points for Purdue in the NCAA final game a year ago against Connecticut (the Huskies won 75-60 for the 2024 NCAA title), and is averaging 9.1 ppg and 7.8 rpg as a rookie this year.

Edey’s size caused Karl-Anthony Towns difficulty on inside drives, and KAT picked up 2 early fouls and was in foul trouble throughout — finishing with only 11 pts on 4-11 shooting (1-5 from 3) with 7 rebounds in 31 minutes, and a -10. Edey had 10 pts on 4-5 shooting with 11 rebounds in 24 minutes, and a +5.

3. Denver by 3 at the Half

Denver pulled out to a 9-pt lead in the 1st quarter, and led by 7 entering the 2nd, but Mile McBride hit a big 3 and then a deuce to pull NY back within 3.

Denver again pulled out to a 7-pt lead later in the 2nd quarter, but scoring by Brunson and Mikal Bridges brought the Knicks back within 3 at the half.

4. Memphis Owns Offensive Boards — Go Up 12 in 3rd

The Grizzlies not only have Zach Edey — they also have 6’11 Jaren Jackson Jr, the elite shotblocker (currently 7th in NBA in shot blocks at 1.7 per game and averaging 22.8 ppg), and 6’8 Jaylen Wells on their front line.

In the backcourt is 6’5 Desmond Bane, and excellent rebounding guard (averaging 5.7 rebounds).

With KAT in foul trouble, and Mitchell Robinson being nursed in with limited minutes, Memphis owned the boards all night — and kept getting offensive rebounds and 2nd opportunities.

Memphis out-rebounded NY 58-35, and beat them on the offensive boards 19-8.

That helped the Grizzlies build a 12-pt lead in the 3rd quarter at 84-72 with 3 minutes left — they were on the verge of taking command of the game.

5. McBride Dynamite; OG Great

But NY pulled back into it — an OG Anunoby 3 and a Mitchell Robinson drive sliced the Memphis lead to 7. And then Miles McBride DUNKED and Brunson hit a 3 and NY was within 6.

McBride had a game: 17 pts on 7-11 shooting, 3-5 from 3. OG did too: 19 pts on 7-17 shooting, 4-10 from 3.

6. Bridges Keeps Morant in Check

And then there was Mikal Bridges — doing a great job guarding Ja Morant all night. Morant finished with 25 pts on 9-22 shooting but was 0-6 from 3 and was held mostly in check. Bridges had 15 pts on 7-14 shooting (0-5 from 3).

Bridges BLOCKED a Morant 11-footer to end the 3rd quarter and the game went to the 4th, NY down 88-82.

7. Dogfight in 4th — Brunson & D Lead NY to Win

And then came the dogfight 4th quarter.

  • Denver went up by 7 but a Miles McBride 3 pulled NY to within 4.
  • Then Landry Shamet hit a HUGE deuce and Cameron Payne hit a HUGE 3 to pull NY within 1.
  • Cam Payne fed OG Anunoby for a DUNK, and then Cam Payne fed KAT for a 3 and NY was up by 4.

  • Landry Shamet hit a Huge 3 and NY was up 99-96 with 8:23 left.
  • Memphis fired back — a bucket by Luke Kennard, and scoring by Jaren Jackson Jr put the Grizzlies back up by 4 with 6:44 left.
  • NY came back — Bridges with a jumper, and McBride with what looked like a 3 ruled a 2 — tie game with 4:23 left.
  • Desmond Bane hit a drive — Brunson countered with a Clutch floater; tie game at 108-108 with 2 minutes left.
  • Morant made 2 free throws off a drive — Memphis up by 2 with 1:47 left.
  • Brunson missed a 3; OG got the offensive rebound, fed Josh Hart, who missed a straight-away jumper.
  • Memphis came down with under a minute left looking to go up by 4 — and Morant drove to the basket — but Mikal Bridges defended well, causing him to miss a floater.
  • Bridges missed a floater — but Knick D forced an 8-second backcourt violation on Jaren Jackson.
  • Knick ball. 33 seconds left — NY down 110-108.

Jalen Brunson came down, maneuvered against the D — and hit a HUGE 3! Knick lead.

Memphis timeout.

Down the other end, Morant to the basket for a bucket and ONE — Memphis with a 112-111 lead with 12 seconds left.

NY timeout.

Brunson to OG

Out of the timeout, Brunson penetrating the Memphis D, drawing 3 defenders — the perfect pass to OG on the outside. BANG! Knicks up by 1 with 4.1 seconds left.

Memphis timeout.

“Jalen Brunson has won at levels for a reason,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “As he puts himself in position to succeed and the Knicks in position to win by always wanting the ball in his hands and making the right play. Whether he’s creating his own or a penetrate and kick for a winning 3.Never fears the moment.”

The Final Play

Out of the timeout, Morant to the basket, Mikal Bridges stifles him forcing a miss, and Mitchell Robinson taps the rebound back to himself — out of the hands of the 6’11 Jaren Jackson — Knicks WIN !

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401705422

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