Red-hot point guard puts stamp on victory
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Emmanuel Mudiay made sure Knicks coach David Fizdale left Beale Street with a victory.
Mudiay, the red-hot starting point guard, took a pass from Trey Burke on a fast break and rose up over Garrett Temple and threw down a monstrous one-handed dunk. Enes Kanter said he doesn’t remember Mudiay having the hops in practice to ever punish the rim with such force.
It turned into a three-point play with 1:35 left and clinched the Knicks’ 103-98 victory over the Grizzlies on Sunday night at FedExForum, allowing Fizdale to gain revenge over the franchise that fired him a year ago.
“It was ferocious, it was the stamp on it,’’ Fizdale said. “The exclamation point. He wanted to bring it home so bad. It was a big-time basketball play.
Back in May, Mudiay was in the audience for Fizdale’s introductory press conference. At the podium, in his opening remarks, the coach turned to Mudiay and said, “We’ll get you right.’’
Fizdale has made good on his campaign promise.
Mudiay carried the Knicks home in Friday’s victory over the Pelicans with a 15-point fourth quarter and is on as serious a roll as he’s been on since his rookie year of 2015-16.
“I saw him sizing me up,’’ Mudiay said of Temple. “When Trey gave me a good pass I just jumped and the rest just happened. I went in there with a dunking mentality.”
His whole mentality has changed since being named a starter Nov. 14. He had missed more than two weeks to start the season with a sprained ankle and it looked like he may not gain a rotation spot,
Mudiay, who chipped in 17 points Sunday, has averaged 15.1 points on 54 percent shooting in his seven straight starts. He looks freer, faster, more in control and finally a 3-point threat.
“He has my total confidence,’’ Fizdale said. “A big part of his deal, can I rebuild that? It wasn’t a lot of stuff we had to tinker with in his game — maybe his [perimeter] shot a little bit but it was his spirit. I’m proud of the way he’s leading the first group.’’
Against New Orleans on Friday, Mudiay scored 27 points in 29 minutes to go along with seven rebounds, four steals and two assists.
While former Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek couldn’t get Mudiay going after he arrived after a February trade with the Nuggets, Fizdale has pushed the right buttons, giving him the nickname “Mud,” even telling him not to look over so much at the bench for play calls.
“He’s giving me freedom to call the plays, which is pretty fun,’’ Mudiay said. “He always tells me to be a coach on the court. That’s one thing I’m trying to grow in. When I see Enes [Kanter] has got it going in the post, I’ll try to call a play for him instead of calling a play for someone else. Enes is the one [that’s] got it going, so go in there.”
As one NBA source told The Post, “Fizdale loves Mudiay.’’