New York Knicks center Nerlens Noel just punched his name in the nominees for Block of the Year after rejecting Denver Nuggets forward JaMychal Green on Wednesday.
Green thought he had a clear basket in a dunk attempt, but Noel was ready to meet him at the top and make a resounding rejection. Green got the ball back and tried again but Noel was there to make another denial.
N🚫EL (x2) pic.twitter.com/S73CVz9abV
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 6, 2021
The Knicks, however, lost to the Nuggets, 113-97. Still, they are known best for their defense and Noel depicted just that.
Despite the defeat, the Knicks are sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and are all set to make a postseason appearance after so long. One of the major reasons for their success this season is their suffocating defense, fully buying into the system of coach Tom Thibodeau. And Noel has been one of their main anchors.
As for the Nuggets, it’s impressive how they manage to keep winning despite losing Jamal Murray to an ACL injury. It goes to show how valuable their big man Nikola Jokic has been. Jokic’s dominance on Wednesday is one of the reasons why the Knicks took an L. He had 32 points and 12 rebounds in just 29 minutes.
The Knicks can still bounce back and stay afloat for homecourt advantage in the NBA Playoffs. Their upcoming assignments though look very tough as they're set to face the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Lakers. It’s a scary schedule ahead but the Knicks have managed to be resilient all season, and Nerlens Noel might have to do more rim protection.
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