In the NBA regular season game on December 16, Beijing time, the Suns faced the Knicks at home. Shortly after the game began, Beal had to leave the court early due to injury, which was undoubtedly a blow to the Suns. Although Beal's departure caused difficulties for the team, the two sides were evenly matched in the first three quarters of the game, and it was difficult for anyone to open up the difference. However, there was a short circuit on the Suns' offense in the final quarter, and the Knicks seized the opportunity to turn the tide. Brenson, in particular, had a stellar performance, scoring a new personal high of 50 points, including nine three-pointers, which was also his latest personal record. In the end, the Knicks won 139-122 away against the Suns.
Judging by the technical statistics:
Knicks: Barrett contributed 21 points and 3 assists, Randall contributed 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, while Brunson was the centerpiece of the game, chipped in an astonishing 50 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 5 steals, and Quickley contributed 10 points and 5 rebounds.
Suns: Allen had 13 points, Durant contributed 29 points and six assists, Nurkic had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Booker added 28 points and nine assists.
At the beginning of the first quarter of the game, the Knicks dominated the game, and the combined efforts of Brunson and Randle gave the team a 4-0 lead quickly. However, it was Nurkic's brilliant performance under the basket that broke the deadlock for the Suns, and then Allen's breakaway pull to tie the score. Then, Hymes made it 2+1 inside, and Devinchenzo and DiVincenzori scored on outside shots. Not to be outdone, the Suns also showed that they were not to be outdone, with back-to-back scores from Booker and Beal putting them ahead of the game. However, Beal was fouled by DiVincenzo while shooting, resulting in a foot injury and had to leave the court early. The two sides go back and forth, and the score is constantly changing between the leaders. Near the end of the first quarter, Randle scored back-to-back strong shots to give the Knicks the lead again. And Durant also hit a key shot from the outside, resulting in the Suns trailing the Knicks 30-31 at the end of the first quarter.
Heading into the second quarter, Booker broke through to score first, and then Grimes hit a three-pointer from the outside to tie the game. Brunson and Hart rebounded to help the Knicks regain a five-point lead, but Nurkic's nimble play under the basket and Durant's three-pointer from outside tied the score. The Knicks went from strength to strength, with Randle's outside shot and Hartenstein's inside breakaway continuing to extend the lead. Durant, on the other hand, showed his shooting ability and hit two key three-pointers from the outside, allowing the Knicks to further widen the gap. Allen's outside shot also added a lot of points to the Suns, allowing them to regain the lead. Towards the end of the quarter, Randle made steady from the free throw line, and Nurkic scored inside to counter. At halftime, the Suns temporarily led the Knicks at 68-63.
In the following game, Booker once again took the lead to score 4 points, and Durant added 2 points on a jumper. Randle made a layup to chase the points, while Brunson hit two crucial three-pointers to close the deficit to three points. However, this is when the rest of the Suns players began to emerge as well, with Booker and Durant teaming up to control the offense, and they launched a wave of mini-surges to secure the lead. After the Knicks closed the gap to just three points in the second half, the Suns seemed to be awakened, and their offense got back into order, with Booker and Durant's playmaking making them open up again. However, the Knicks remained unstoppable, with Brunson and Quickley coming back on hand and a 7-2 run to narrow the score to 97-99, with the Suns still leading by a narrow margin.
As the game began in the final quarter, Barrett's score helped the Knicks tie the score again. But Nurkic responded with a dunk on the inside, giving the Suns a two-point lead again. However, in the following game, the rest of the Suns' offense was clearly out of order, while the Knicks opened an 11-4 run to successfully achieve a comeback. In the ensuing game, the two sides frequently fouled, resulting in several consecutive free throws. The Knicks fought back twice in the ensuing game to extend their lead to double digits, and the Suns were running out of time with just five minutes left. In the second half, the Suns' offense still failed to find a rhythm, resulting in a continuous widening of the point difference. As the game entered its final stages, both sides began to field substitutes to complete the remainder of the game. In the end, the Knicks defeated the Suns 139-122.
In the starting line-up for this game:
The Knicks' starting lineup is: Barrett, Randle, Simms, DiVincenzo and Brunson.
The Suns' starting lineup is: Durant, Beal, Booker, Allen and Nurkic.
It was not just a great matchup, it was a showcasing of the players' top level and the importance of teamwork. Although the Suns took the lead in some moments, the Knicks' tenacious performance ultimately allowed them to emerge victorious.