With the second unit down for the Knicks for the start of the second quarter, Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley helped the Knicks come out with an 11-2, while Rose finished off with a nice move up and down in layup and subsequently shot down one wing three. The Knicks pushed their lead up to 14 points, but the offense is slightly out of sync and the Rockets held the lead around 10. But when the Knicks first unit checked in, the New York lead is quickly climbed back to 15 points.
The Knicks played an effective first half overall, as they went the first 23 minutes without a turnover, taking a 63-47 lead at half-time as Randle hit a buzzer-beater fadeaway from his right elbow. Randle had 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in the first half.