The Wizards hit the Wall last night.
The best young point guard gracing the Garden last night was Toney Douglas, not rookie sensation John Wall. The Knicks are forming an identity — a winning, gritty identity — and it’s more Douglas than Amar’e Stoudemire.
For the second straight night, Stoudemire watched proudly as he got healthy support and the Knicks got another victory, 112-91 over the Wizards, giving them a winning record at 3-2.
Douglas led six Knicks in double figures and is emerging as the season’s unsung standout in a bench role. One night after bursting for 30 points in Chicago, Douglas had a team-high 19 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.
Wall’s Garden debut was a major disappointment. Even with Gilbert Arenas making his season debut for Washington and scoring 18 points, Wall committed nine turnovers and had just seven assists to go with his 13 points. The rookie took the blame.
“I’m a leader and I’ve got to be a better decision-maker,” Wall said.
The Knicks posted 11 steals and 11 blocks. Last year, the Knicks were last in the NBA in blocks.
“We’re scrapping up,” said Stoudemire, who had an average offensive night with 18 points, but contributed four blocks. “We’re taking on the challenge of guarding players, playing team defense.”
Douglas could do no wrong. In the fourth quarter, a loose-ball offensive rebound found its way into his hands. Standing 10 feet from the basket, he caught it and lofted it up and in.
The second-year guard from Florida State was by far the hardest worker in the offseason after an up-and-down rookie season.
“He stayed here almost all summer,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s made himself into a heck of a player. I don’t think he’s a flash in the pan.”
“I was familiar with his game as a scrappy, great defender,” Stoudemire said, “but he has really impressed me with the way he is shooting the ball.”
The Knicks also got 14 points from Wilson Chandler, who had the night’s highlight play — a vicious reverse slam dunk off a baseline drive. Danilo Gallinari kept up his hot hand with 16 points, Ronny Turiaf was a dynamo with 10 points and four rebounds, Raymond Felton had 13 points and 10 assists. Even rookie center Timofey Mozgov had three dunks in the first quarter.
“That’s the plan, that’s the goal,” Stoudemire said, “to become a complete team.”