BOSTON — Mohamed Diawara Steps Up for Knicks
With OG Anunoby sidelined, Mohamed Diawara filled the gap as the Knicks took down the Celtics, 111-89, on Sunday. Anunoby sat out due to a sore toe, marking his second consecutive game missed.
Diawara’s performance earned him the title of Defensive Player of the Game, an honor bestowed by the Knicks coaching staff after the victory. This was a notable achievement for the rookie who was picked in the second round of the draft.
In the second half, Diawara held off Jaylen Brown, who had a strong start, shooting 6-for-11 in the first half. Coach Mike Brown acknowledged this, saying, “We did a better job defensively in the second half. Mo was the standout defender today. It was impressive to see how he handled it without fouling.” It’s always great to see young players stepping up, isn’t it?
And offensively, Diawara was equally sharp, going 4-for-4 from the field, including two three-pointers, racking up 10 points. During his 27 minutes on the court, the Knicks outscored the Celtics by 22 points.
His teammate, Josh Hart, mentioned that the expectations around Diawara were evident from the training camp, noting that he seemed to be working on being more comfortable and gaining experience. “He’s got talent, and he’s consistently knocking down his shots,” Hart added. It’s interesting how confidence can influence a player’s performance.
In other news, Karl-Anthony Towns returned after missing one game due to a laceration above his eye. He required 16 stitches from an earlier game against the Nuggets and donned goggles for the first time, a design similar to those used by Amare Stoudemire, which is quite a fun detail.
However, Towns ended up removing the goggles during the second half, and his game also suffered a bit. He managed just 11 points with a shooting line of 3-of-9, having no three-pointers and committing three turnovers. You win some, you lose some, I guess. Sometimes it just doesn’t click, right?
