Kemba Walker continues to distance himself from his full-time bench role with yet another big performance, this one on Christmas Day to down the Hawks.
The veteran point guard, once again in the starting lineup with multiple Knicks still in COVID-19 protocol, became the first player in franchise history to log a triple-double on Christmas Day, scoring 10 points while dishing out 12 assists and pulling down 10 rebounds.
Walker hardly shot it like he did on Thursday, when he poured in 44 points, but even while shooting 3-for-12 from the field, he still provided a spark for the offense in his fourth game back since spending nine straight games out of the rotation and on the bench.
“He didn’t force anything,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They put size on him…he didn’t fight it. He attacked the pressure the way you would like to attack pressure…I thought his passing was terrific.”
With the Knicks holding a large lead late in the game, Walker’s teammates tried to clear out and let Walker grab his 10th rebound, and he finally did off a Mitchell Robinson block to complete his third career triple-double and his first since 2014. It is also the first Christmas Day triple-double in the NBA since Draymond Green in 2017.
Per the Knicks, Walker is also just the second player in team history to log a triple-double after posting a 40-point game. The other was Carmelo Anthony in 2012.
"Those are moments you dream about," Walker said. "To be home, with that New York on my chest...it felt amazing."
One of the Knicks trying to get Walker to a triple-double was Julius Randle.
“He’s honestly the heart and soul of our team,” Randle said. “He comes in the game with energy.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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