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Knicks Guard Steals Show in Rare Start

The backup guard relieved the New York Knicks pain in a rare opportunity.

Geoff Magliocchetti

Mar 22, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne (1) dribbles up court in front of Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (8) and forward Justin Champagnie (9) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Mar 22, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne (1) dribbles up court in front of Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (8) and forward Justin Champagnie (9) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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With the captain in sick bay and Miles McBride left at the (medical) altar, Cameron Payne relieved the pain for the New York Knicks.

Amidst a somewhat crowded metropolitan injury report, Payne was granted a rare start at point guard when the Knicks faced the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. With New York eager to get back in the win column after a dreary, speedy road trip, Payne's pace placed the Knicks on the road to success in a 122-103 victory.

"Just being aggressive, doing whatever I've got to do to help us get a win, trying to find my mojo," Payne said when MSG Network's Alan Hahn asked him about his mindset entering the game. "So I'm just trying to push the pace, trying to keep my turnovers down to help us get a win."

Payne scored 10 of his 13 points in the first quarter, helping soothe one of the Knicks' troubling trends: in their three games earlier this week, New York had been outscored by a combined 28 points in opening periods against Miami, San Antonio, and Charlotte.

Thanks to Payne's early output, the Knicks (44-26) flipped the script well enough to lead by 10 after 12. Between an additional four assists and possessions created with three rebounds, Payne had a role in 21 of the Knicks' first 31 points.

Though Payne scored only three points over the latter 36, that trio proved clutch: Payne's three-pointer with 8:55 remaining ignited a 30-15 run to close out the game, which rendered a scary Washington run, one that shrank a 33-point lead to four, nearly-forgotten.

“He’s not afraid,” head coach Tom Thibodeau noted, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “Cam is going to let it fly, which is what we like about him. We have to play tougher with a big lead, but that was a big shot.”

Payne appeared to be partly inspired by finally playing in front of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd again: a three-game homestand, which continues against Dallas next, allowed Payne to reunite with some canine pals before he took the floor at MSG.

"It's lit!" Payne said when Hahn asked him about being home. "It's good to be in front of the fans. They give us a lot of juice. We needed the juice tonight. Wish we could've gotten a bigger win but we got the win, that's all that matters. But it's good to get back in my bed, see my dogs, see my family, and, like I said, man, it's good to come in the Garden and see all these fans."

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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