Getty Kemba Walker celebrating.
After being ravaged by health and safety protocols, the New York Knicks had no choice but to bring Kemba Walker back into the rotation, and he’s definitely been making the most out of his opportunity.
In the Christmas day matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, a team who is also being hit hard by the same protocols, the Knicks put on a masterful performance and demolished the depleted Hawks in front of the home fans at Madison Square Garden.
Walker, who is coming off a 40 point performance in his previous game, chipped in with a triple-double, something that has only been done seven times before on Christmas.
With Derrick Rose being out for two months, Walker’s play has been very encouraging and he’s making the team look more foolish by the day by removing him from the rotation.
Walker Sets a Record
Just the 7th player in @NBA history to post a triple-double on Christmas Day, @KembaWalker.
While he’s the seventh player to put up a triple-double on Christmas, he’s just the first New York Knick to accomplish the feat.
The Madison Square Garden faithful gave the beleaguered point guard a standing ovation for his performance, so it seems clear the fans haven’t turned on him.
Coach Tom Thibodeau will have to be relying on Walker a lot more in the near future, so it’s nice to see performances like this.
Walker joins Draymond Green, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Billy Cunningham, John Havlicek and Oscar Robertson as the only players to put up triple-doubles on Christmas, with Robertson doing it a total of four times himself.
Kemba Looks Promising
Kemba Walker is the second Knick in franchise history to follow a 40-point game with a triple double. (Carmelo Anthony, April 2012). He is the seventh player in NBA history, first since 2017 and first Knick to post a triple double on Christmas Day. @EliasSports
Over his past four games, Walker has shot 40 percent from three, and he’s been shouldering a huge scoring load.
The victory over the Hawks saw him only put up 10 points, but he chipped in with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Here’s a look at his most recent performances:
- 29 pts, 6 rebs, 3 assists
- 21 pts, 8 rebs, 5 assists
- 44 pts, 9 rebs, 8 assists
- 10 pts, 10 rebs, 12 assists
Unfortunately, the performances haven’t all resulted in wins, with his 44 point game resulting in one of the notable losses. However, it is promising to see him put up games like this because poor performances and a horrendous plus/minus stat are what led to his removal in the first place.
The Knicks improve to 15-18 on the season with his victory, but they find themselves firmly outside of the top eight in the Eastern Conference. This is no longer the East that LeBron James ran through for years, but it’s now deeper than it has been in years.
A 15-18 record might’ve been good enough to get into the playoffs a few years ago, but that won’t cut it anymore. There’s still plenty of time for the team to get it turned around, and if they are able to beat up on other teams ravaged by the COVID protocols, the Knicks might be able to find a way back into the hunt.
Currently, their recent performances have left a lot to be desired as they are just 2-2 in Walker’s return to the lineup, but this could be the turning point the Knicks have been waiting for.
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