FILE – Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks celebrates his shot during the first half at against the Brooklyn Nets Madison Square Garden on February 13, 2023 in New York City. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP
Quentin Grimes and Jalen Brunson scored 27 points apiece to lead a balanced scoring attack Sunday night for the New York Knicks, who clinched a playoff spot by pulling away from the visiting Washington Wizards and earning a 118-109 victory.
The Knicks (46-33), who have won four straight and seven of 10, are headed for the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons — the first time New York has made the postseason at least twice in a three-year span since qualifying three straight times from 2010-11 through 2012-13.
The Knicks are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets and three games behind the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers.
Immanuel Quickley scored 22 points and Obi Toppin had a season-high 21 points for the Knicks, who had four players score at least 20 points for the first time since a 136-134 overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 1, 2018.
No Sunday scaries here 😤 pic.twitter.com/HmPNYG1zpr
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 3, 2023
Corey Kispert scored a career-high 29 points for the undermanned Wizards (34-44), who were eliminated from play-in contention with the win by the Atlanta Hawks against the Dallas Mavericks later Sunday night.
Johnny Davis had 16 points while Taj Gibson (14 points), Jordan Goodwin (11) and Kendrick Nunn (11) all got into double figures off the bench for the Wizards, who were without starters Bradley Beal (left knee), Kyle Kuzma (right ankle), Monte Morris (right ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness).
The Knicks led 34-31 at the end of the first quarter before eight different players scored in the second for the Wizards, who outscored New York 30-19 and led by as many as 10 before carrying a 61-53 lead into the half.
Kispert hit a 3-pointer with 9:38 left in the third to extend the Wizards’ lead to 64-55 before the Knicks began inching back. Grimes’ 3-pointer with 4:33 left gave New York the lead for good at 72-69 and began a quarter-ending 17-10 run in which Grimes and Brunson combined for the first 15 points.
Toppin opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to give the Knicks their first double-digit lead at 89-79. New York led by no fewer than eight and by as many as 20 the rest of the way.