Knicks clinch playoff berth with 118-109 win over Wizards

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes each scored 27points, and the New York Knicks clinched a playoff berth with a118-109 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night.

Immanuel Quickley added 22 points and Obi Toppin had 21 for theKnicks, who won their fourth in a row and will be in the postseasonfor the second time in three years. They had missed the playoffsthe previous seven seasons.

Mitchell Robinson contributed eight points and 11 rebounds asthe Knicks, who have won both games since losing All-Star forwardJulius Randle to a sprained left ankle.

Corey Kispert led Washington with a career-high 29 points.Johnny Davis had 16 and Taj Gibson added 14.

The Knicks trailed by as many as 10 points in the second quarterand 61-53 at halftime. The Wizards extended their lead to 64-55before the Knicks went on a 14-4 run to reclaim a lead they nevergave back. New York extended its advantage to 86-79 at the end ofthe third quarter.

Toppin opened the final quarter with a 3-pointer, giving theKnicks their first double-digit lead. The Wizards never got closerthan eight the rest of the way. New York took its biggest lead at114-94 on Brunson’s floater with 2:38 left in the game.

The Knicks were ahead 36-31 early in the second when the Wizardswent on a 17-2 run and took a 48-38 lead on Deni Avdija’s 3-pointerwith 7:41 left in the second quarter. Jordan Goodwin and KendrickNunn each had 11 points for the Wizards.

TIP-INS

Wizards: Washington was without its top three scorers: BradleyBeal (23.2), Kristaps Porzingis (23.2) and Kyle Kuzma (21.2).Porzingis missed his second straight game with a non-Covid illness,while Beal (sore left knee) and Kuzma (sprained right ankle) havebeen out for six and seven games, respectively. ... In eight gamesagainst his former team, Porzingis has averaged 21.1 points, 9.0rebounds and 2.0 blocks. … No one on the Wizards’ roster has playedin all of the team’s games this season. Avdija has only missedone.

Knicks: RJ Barrett missed the game with a non-Covid illness. …Randle had started the first 77 games before his injury. OnlyIsaiah Hartenstein has played in every game for the Knicks. …Exactly 53 years ago, April 2, 1970, the late Willis Reed collecteda Knicks playoff-record 36 rebounds in a win over thethen-Washington Bullets in Game 5 of the Eastern Divisionsemifinals.

UP NEXT

Wizards: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Knicks: At Indiana on Wednesday.