Warren’s 26 leads Westchester Knicks over Delaware Blue Coats

Coming off their first loss of the season against the Maine Celtics 118-110, the Westchester Knicks looked to bounce back in their home opener against the Delaware Blue Coats as they looked to take control atop the East over the Greensboro Swarm in the Showcase Cup standings. While the Knicks have been one of the best teams in the early part of the season, the Blue Coats have struggled to find a way to pull out wins, coming in with a 1-4 record as the Knicks looked to capitalize off that.

TJ Warren, the leading scorer for the Westchester Knicks (25.3PPG), demonstrated his prowess with 26 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Despite his performance, the collective effort of the team shone through. Players like Boo Boie III and Donovan Williams, who combined for 36 of the 68 first-half points, showed the Knicks' unity and shared goal of victory.

The Knicks struggled to contain Darius Bazley in the first quarter, as he scored 11 of his 15 points, with five of his eight shots coming in the restricted area. After a hot start in the first, the Knicks were able to contain Bazley in the second quarter to just three points, limiting his drives to the rim. The rest of the game, after starting 5-of-8 (63%), Bazley shot just 1-of-7 (14%), and he had just two shots in the paint after the first quarter. Besides Bazley, Justin Edwards (12) and Jeff Dowtin Jr. (14) combined for 40 of the Bluecoats' 56 points.

The Knicks bench played a crucial role in their lead, outscoring the Blue Coats bench 19-9 in the first half. They were instrumental in getting easier shots in the paint and won that battle 42-30. This performance from the bench players, coupled with the Knicks outscoring the Blue Coats 31-25, led to a 68-56 lead at halftime. 

The Knicks' strategic play was evident from the start, with the Blue Coats needing help finding their rhythm. The Knicks' fluid ball movement kept the Blue Coats' defense on their toes, maintaining a lead that the Blue Coats found hard to break. The game remained engaging, with the Blue Coats cutting the lead into single digits at the 7:32 mark of the third off a Judah Mintz three-pointer. 

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The Knicks capitalized on some turnovers and unforced errors, extending their lead to as much as 20 near the end of the third. As the fourth began, both teams started cold, with the first basket coming at the 10:19 mark of the fourth. Knicks forward Abdullah Ahmed went down with an injury at the 9:03 mark of the fourth, with the Knicks up 95-81. He did a great job as a rim protector and anchored defensively, finishing with four blocks.

The Blue Coats got the game within nine points with a little over four minutes to play. The Knicks were just 6-for-19 (32%) in the fourth and had careless turnovers, while the Blue Coats shot 9-of-19 (47%) from the field. This allowed the Blue Coats to creep back into the game, cutting the deficit to four with 2:45 left to play, as the Knicks led 102-98.

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However, the Knicks responded, led by Chuma Okeke and Warren, who made three crucial threes down the stretch to squander the Blue Coats' momentum and potential comeback and avoid an epic collapse. Dowtin Jr. led all scorers with 33 points on an absurd 58 percent from the field while connecting on 50 percent of his shots from beyond the arc to go with seven rebounds and four assists.

After tonight's win, the Knicks improved to 4-1, defeating the Blue Coats 115-107 in the Tip-Off G-League Tournament for the best record in the East. They will rematch against the Blue Coats on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on MSG in Wilmington, Delaware, at Chase Fieldhouse.