After yesterday’s realization that RJ Barrett was one point away from giving the Knicks three players with 30-plus on Sunday night in Boston, there’s an obvious question… have the Knicks ever done that? We know they haven’t done it against the Celtics, but… let’s fire up Stathead.
Turns out, the answer is yes. On March 24, 1979, the Knicks had a double-overtime home loss to the Bulls, 148-143, in which Earl Monroe and Ray Williams each scored 34 points and Toby Knight added 30. Chicago got 41 from Artis Gilmore and 33 from Mickey Johnson at the Garden.
There’s one other time it happened: March 2, 1962. If that date is familiar… well, we just discussed that one, too, because it was Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. The Knicks got 39 points in that one from Richie Guerin, 33 from Cleveland Buckner, and another 31 from Willie Naulls, but obviously Chamberlain in triple figures and four other Philadelphia Warriors (Paul Arizin, Al Attles, Tom Meschery, and Guy Rodgers) in double figures was enough for a 169-147 final.
So, the Knicks are 0-2 all time when they have a trifecta of 30-point scorers. Good thing that Barrett didn’t get that extra free throw to fall and join Immanuel Quickley and Julius Randle in the 30 club, right?
Since that Knicks-Bulls game in 1979, there have been 29 times that an NBA team had three guys go for 30 or more points… and the Knicks have been responsible defensively for three of them.
December 27, 1988: Hawks 128, Knicks 126 (at Atlanta) — Reggie Theus (32), Moses Malone (30), Dominique Wilkins (30)
January 18, 1989: Warriors 133, Knicks 119 (at Oakland) — Winston Garland (31), Mitch Richmond (31), Chris Mullin (30)
January 5, 2020: Clippers 135, Knicks 132 (at Los Angeles) — Montrezl Harrell (34), Lou Williams (32), Paul George (32)
The Knicks are 0-7 all time when there are three 30-point scorers in a game, because the Hawks also did this to them in 1971 in Atlanta (Walt Bellamy 33, Pete Maravich 31, Lou Hudson 30) and in 1960 in St. Louis (Clyde Lovellette 39, Cliff Hagan 32, Bob Pettit 32).
The most recent such game anywhere in the NBA? December 28 of this season, when the Kings had Malik Monk score 33 points off then bench, plus 31 apiece from De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis in a 127-126 home win over the Nuggets.
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We Can Pod It Out 62: Day Tripper