NEW YORK – In a game that did not have Matt Costello or Derrick White, the Austin Spurs play was not quite enough as Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Luke Kornet combined to go for 41 points and 13 rebounds in a tough three point victory for the Westchester Knicks.
Livio Jean-Charles, Jaron Blossomgame, and Darrun Hilliard tallied 55 points and 26 rebounds altogether in the loss for Austin.
OFFICIAL BOX SCORE | GAME BOOK | ROSTER | SCHEDULE
THE BASICS
- How to Watch: Facebook Live – Austin Spurs Fan Page
- Score: Austin Spurs 92, Westchester Knicks 95
- Records: Spurs (14-10) | Knicks (18-9)
- Date: Sunday, January 7 | 4:00 p.m. tip-off CST
- Location: Westchester County Center | New York, NY
- Attendance: 1,825
- Officials: Tyler Ricks, Phenizee Ransom, Dannica Mosher
- Get Social: Twitter – @spursonsixth| Facebook – Spurs on Sixth
TURNING POINT
Enjoying a nice seven point lead against the Knicks in Westchester after one sounds slightly appealing. However, a smooth 8-0 run by Westchester midway through the second quarter gave the Knicks a two point edge.
Taking a two point lead into the half, Westchester held Austin to just 16 third quarter points to take command of this game.
Trailing by three with under 10 seconds to go, a desperate attempt by Hilliard would get rejected by big man Isaiah Hicks. After an offensive rebound by Austin, a failed 3-pointer by Olivier Hanlan resulted in a three point victory for Westchester.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Austin shot 45 percent (36-for-80) from the floor, while the Knicks were a little less efficient at 38-of-88 (43 percent) from the floor.
- The Spurs went 7-for-20 (35 percent) from beyond the arc in the three point loss and shot a nice 13-for-15 (87 percent) from the charity stripe. The Knicks, meanwhile, were 12-for-23 (43 percent) from downtown and went 7-for-16 (44 percent) from the free throw line.
- Despite recorded fewer assists than Westchester (20-16), Austin tallied seven more rebounds than the Knicks recorded (45-38).
- Westchester registered 14 steals and recorded four blocked shots while also committing just nine turnovers, while Austin finished with 16 steals, five blocked shots, and committed a whopping 17 turnovers as a team.
NOTABLES
- Jean Charles led the way with 19 points, including perfect 3-for-3 at the charity stripe. He also recorded 11 rebounds.
- Hanlan added seven made field goals and 14 points; Johnson tallied 10 points and a game-high three steals.
- Rathan-Mayes tallied a game-high 22 points and seven rebounds; Kornet added 19 points on 50 percent shooting (8-of-16).
- Michigan product, Trey Burke, went for 14 points, five assists and two steals.
- With the win, the Knicks maintain a two game win streak and move to an even .500 inside Westchester County Center (7-7). In the loss, Austin falls to 6-4 in its last 10 games. They’re also 6-4 on the road this far.
UP NEXTThe Spurs head back to Canada for the second time since New Year’s Eve for an unusual meeting with the Bulls as part of the 2018 G League Showcase. Austin takes on the Windy City Bulls inside the Hershey Centre on Wednesday, January 10 with a 1:30 CST scheduled tip.
