RJ Barrett was aggressive early on, landing on the free throw line for the Knicks’ first point of the night, and then confidently hitting a three-point shot on Stephen Curry. Then, after a Curry turnover forced by Elfrid Payton, Barrett threw a dunk with a monstrous hand in transition.
Barrett was simply outstanding in the first quarter, scoring 14 out of 4 out of 4 points in a 9:22 run on the floor. And it was just the beginning for Barrett.
Meanwhile, Reggie Bullock came out shooting. The veteran forward took down his first three three-point attempts, extending the Knicks lead to 17-9 just over four minutes into the match. Overall, the Knicks shot 6 for 9 from over the three-point line in the first quarter, leading to 40-31 after the first 12 minutes.