Just a week after coming back to the original roster of the New York Knicks, Kemba Walker seems to have cemented his place with a triple-double. We know it would be criminal to believe that he was the best player on the court, as the honor unquestionably goes to Julius Randle, but given the situation and the context, Walker’s 10 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds do add up to the big story where the Knicks defeat the Atlanta Hawks 101-87.
Kemba Walker Receives Standing Ovation Following His Game
As history records, Kemba Walker walked away with the seventh Christmas triple-double in the history of the NBA and the first for a player from the New York Knicks. Interestingly, his shooting range wasn’t all that illustrious- but outside of Randle, he handled the major share of the playmaking for the team, with Derrick Rose in rehab from ankle surgery, Immanuel Quickley reconditioning, and Miles McBride still under the protocol.
When Walker checked out after playing a fascinating 40 minutes, it was natural for the entire crowd at the Madison Square Garden to give him a standing ovation.
Now, this triple-double by Kemba Walker comes directly after his 44-point performance against the Washington Wizards on the 26th of November. Between then and the 18th of December, he didn’t play a single game. On the other hand, the Atlanta Hawks had their own troubles to deal with- which certainly turned up to be the root cause of their defeat. Without the help of stars like Trae Young and Kevin Huerter, they managed to score 33 for 87 from the field itself.
Although Kemba Walker certainly lit up the arena, it was Julius Randle that had the official reins of the game. Not only did he participate in some tough shot-making, he also made snap decisions upon catching the ball- which certainly helped their team defeat the Hawks by quite a big margin.
