(Belga) New York defeated Atlanta 101-87 on Saturday in Game 1 of NBA Christmas Day, the North American Basketball Championship.
The Knicks were off to the best start, leading 30-21 after the first quarter. At the end of the second quarter, Evan Fournier made a recital, scoring ten consecutive points for his team, which returned to the locker room with a ten-point advantage (61-51). With Julius Randle as leading scorer (25 points, 12 rebounds), New York widened the gap in the second half to win 101-87 and sign a 15th victory in 33 games. Atlanta, where John Collins and Delon Wright scored 20 points, has as many wins but one less loss. The two teams follow each other in the standings in the East, with an 11th place finish for the Hawks and a 12th place for the Knicks. Four other meetings are on the program for this ‘Christmas Day’, the shock of which between the first two in the West, Phoenix and Golden State, and a duel between the Lakers and Brooklyn, decimated by the Covid protocol. (Belga)
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