Ron Baker makes first NBA start for Knicks
The Knicks gave undrafted rookie Ron Baker his first NBA start and moved Courtney Lee to the bench, though it didn’t mean victory in a 108-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
Baker, from Wichita State, helped spark a 10-0 run to start the fourth with two three-pointers, but Dennis Schroder (28 points) kept the Hawks in it all the way while making 13 of 16 shots. His go-ahead three-pointer with 22 seconds left was the difference.
The Knicks had three attempts at a desperately needed victory after, but Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Joakim Noah all couldn’t convert before time expired.
Baker finished with 12 points and three rebounds in 22 minutes. He made 4 of 9 shots.
HAWKS 108, KNICKS 107
Atlanta | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | F | Pt |
Bazemore | 32:03 | 5-13 | 4-4 | 6 | 1 | 16 |
Millsap | 39:09 | 5-18 | 6-10 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
Sefolosha | 22:03 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Hardaway Jr. | 34:48 | 9-16 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 20 |
Schroder | 33:37 | 13-16 | 1-1 | 3 | 0 | 28 |
Humphries | 24:13 | 3-5 | 5-8 | 7 | 2 | 14 |
Delaney | 19:05 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Dunleavy | 18:52 | 0-5 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Scott | 9:33 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Prince | 6:37 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Totals | 240:00 | 40-87 | 16-23 | 36 | 15 | 108 |
Percentages: FG .460, FT .696. 3-Point Goals: 12-32, .375 (Humphries 3-3, Hardaway Jr. 2-7, Bazemore 2-8, Delaney 1-1, Schroder 1-2, Scott 1-2, Sefolosha 1-2, Millsap 1-5, Dunleavy 0-2). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 10 (18 PTS). Blocked Shots: 3 (Millsap 3). Turnovers: 10 (Millsap 3, Schroder 2, Bazemore, Delaney, Dunleavy, Hardaway Jr., Humphries). Steals: 11 (Millsap 3, Delaney 2, Sefolosha 2, Bazemore, Dunleavy, Hardaway Jr., Humphries).
New York | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | F | Pt |
Anthony | 34:33 | 10-16 | 8-11 | 7 | 5 | 30 |
Kuzminskas | 37:33 | 6-10 | 1-1 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
Noah | 33:24 | 2-3 | 3-5 | 17 | 5 | 7 |
Baker | 21:49 | 4-9 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
Rose | 31:59 | 8-16 | 2-4 | 4 | 4 | 18 |
Holiday | 23:10 | 5-10 | 1-2 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
Lee | 20:52 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
Jennings | 20:20 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
O’Quinn | 16:20 | 3-10 | 0-0 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
Totals | 240:00 | 42-85 | 15-23 | 53 | 22 | 107 |
Percentages: FG .494, FT .652. 3-Point Goals: 8-26, .308 (Baker 4-7, Anthony 2-4, Lee 1-4, Kuzminskas 1-5, Holiday 0-3, Jennings 0-3). Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: 18 (24 PTS). Blocked Shots: 3 (Noah 2, Rose). Turnovers: 18 (Rose 6, Anthony 5, Jennings 2, Baker, Kuzminskas, Lee, Noah, O’Quinn). Steals: 8 (Baker 2, Kuzminskas 2, Anthony, Jennings, Noah, Rose).
Atlanta | 26 | 27 | 35 | 20 | — | 108 |
New York | 27 | 27 | 29 | 24 | — | 107 |
Att.—19,812 (19,812). T—2:12.
Officials—Sean Wright, Tre Maddox, Kevin Scott
This story was originally published January 16, 2017 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Ron Baker makes first NBA start for Knicks."