Call it a Festivus miracle. Back from exile, Kemba Walker pulled out all the stops Thursday night, erupting for 44 points—his most since December 11, 2019—in a 124-117 loss to Washington.
Walker’s early Knicks tenure has been one frustration after another, falling out of the rotation while spending the better part of a month in coach Tom Thibodeau’s doghouse. But with Derrick Rose lost to another injury (he’s facing a 6-8 week absence), Walker has played out of necessity, dominating to the tune of 31.3 points per game in his last three appearances.
The reset seems to have done Walker some good with the six-foot guard firing on all cylinders Thursday night, finishing a rebound and two assists shy of what would have been his third career triple-double and first since 2014. Walker was lethal from downtown against the Wizards, draining seven of his 14 attempts from beyond the arc. Cardiac Kemba had the Garden rocking early, tallying 28 of his 44 points before halftime.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the Wizards, even without All-Star Bradley Beal (he’s in the league’s health and safety protocol), handed the Knicks their sixth loss in eight games, dropping them to 14-18 on the season. The Knicks can’t be happy with their performance of late, but at least Walker, after weeks of being glued to the bench, is finally producing.
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