NBA scores 2017: Kristaps Porzingis got Giannis Antetokounmpo this time

The Bucks and the Knicks will be battling for years to come.

Jan 7, 2017, 1:00 PM UTC

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo beat New York in New York on Wednesday. Please allow the Knicks to have their revenge.

That’s what Friday was for the Knicks and for Kristaps Porzingis. Antetokounmpo worked New York two days ago, nailing a step-back buzzer beater after basically throwing down the Space Jam dunk where he took off a step from the free-throw line. We fell in love with Antetokounmpo all over again that night. But the schedule gave New York a rematch two days later, and the Knicks accepted the challenge without hesitation.

New York was down 18 points before roaring back for the 116-111 win. Porzingis dropped a 24-point game, shooting 9-of-14 from the field with six rebounds and three blocks despite fouling out in the final minutes. Carmelo Anthony chipped in 26 more as the Knicks humbled Antetokounmpo, even with his 25 points.

New York needed this win, sitting a game out of the No. 8 seed and trailing Milwaukee in the No. 6 seed by just a game and a half. All of the Eastern Conference is close — just 3.5 games separate the No. 5 through 11 seeds. Milwaukee and New York could end up having playoff implications down the line.

This home-and-home series was the first couple of three matchups this season. The finale comes in Milwaukee in March, a game that could have even more severe playoff implications. Right now, we’re stuck with two teams duking it out in two matchups decided by six combined points.

We know the 22-year-old Antetokounmpo and the 21-year-old Porzingis are both the future of the league. You could argue they both played below-average games — and then you realize they each scored in the mid-20s. Antetokounmpo’s six rebounds and two assists is a disappointment by his standards. Porzingis didn’t even record an assist. What a scrub!

A game after Antetokounmpo buried a crisp game-winning jumper over Lance Thomas, it was Thomas who stripped him on a crucial final possession. Porzingis may not have provided last-second heroics, but his return after missing three straight with a sore Achilles was desperately needed for New York’s win. We couldn’t be happier to have these two matching up against each other for years to come.

Andrew Wiggins’ 41 isn’t enough for Minnesota

Here’s a troubling statistic: The Timberwolves are 1-4 this season when someone scores 40 or more points. Even with a roster full of special players — Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns have all hit the 40-mark this season — Minnesota isn’t taking advantage of its raw talent.

We’ve known this for a while. The Timberwolves are 11-25, tied for the worst record in the West. They lose a lot more games than they win. Still, you’d like to see the Timberwolves win the games where someone drops a 40 — like Wiggins’ 41 points on 16-of-30 shooting. But they still can’t make it happen.

The two usual Timberwolves complaints can be made again: The first involves Wiggins, who did nothing besides scoring. His other stats were a rebound, two assists, two steals, and two turnovers. That’s it.

The other problem is Minnesota’s defense. The Timberwolves are a team full of athletic defenders, but that collection hasn’t led to actual good defense yet. It must be killing Tom Thibodeau, the defensive specialist who engineered the 2008 Celtics championship. But everyone in Minnesota knows the team just needs time.

The Timberwolves didn’t even get hurt by the third quarter on Friday, the thing that has killed them this year. But despite winning that frame 37-24, it only led to a fourth quarter letdown, without enough things happening for Minnesota to seal the win.

Give the Timberwolves time. That’s all they need, if all goes right. They’re so close, but right now, it’s all about patience.

The Warriors were up big, and they blew a fourth quarter lead

Golden State led big in the closing minutes against the Grizzlies. They could have coasted to a win, but instead ...

It’s probably not a big deal. The Warriors still have the league’s best record by several games. But damn, Golden State lost on its home floor in Oakland. Savor this, if that’s your thing, since it may be a while until it happens again.

Friday’s top performances

Andrew Wiggins (41 points, 16-of-30 shooting)

Aaron Gordon (18 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists)

Even in a loss, we’ll give Gordon his sorta near triple-double. Let’s say he wasn’t enough near enough this season.

LeBron James (36 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals)

This is practically casual wear for James. He played 35 minutes in an eight-point game, but Kyle Korver’s presence on the team — expected for Saturday — will cause an uproar nonetheless.

Willie Reed (22 points, 12 rebounds)

This may be Reed’s last chance to actually break into the top performers of the night, so I can’t deny him this. (Reed plays for the Heat, since I know there has to be a few people wondering.)

Stephen Curry (40 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists)

Damn, Steph really dropped 40 in a loss. How’d the Warriors lose this after being up big in the fourth quarter!?