The Spurs ride team-first basketball to a resounding victory over the surging Knicks

The shorthanded San Antonio Spurs played perhaps their best basketball of the year, blowing out the fourth-place New York Knicks and hanging 119 points on the stingiest defense in the NBA despite coming into the evening winless on SEGABABAs.

Trey Lyles led San Antonio with a season-high 18 points, giving them their league-best ninth-different single-game leading scorer of the season. Dejounte Murray, DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, Lonnie Walker IV, and Luka Samanic also reached double-digits.

Lyles was feeling himself the second he stepped onto the court, scoring the first five points for the Silver and Black and firing away any time the ball touched his hand.

Third-year two-guard Lonnie Walker IV flashed his developing passing chops with a perfectly placed live-dribble drop-off dime in the paint to Jakob Poeltl.

Keldon Johnson made his long-awaited return from COVID protocols and picked up right where he left off, relentlessly charging the rim with defenders draped all over him.

Third-string center Drew Eubanks got in on the action with an impressive recovery block, pinning what appeared to be a guaranteed layup against the backboard.

Blockob Poeltl continued his shot-swatting ways as he effortlessly sent away a feeble scoop attempt with a swift flick of his massive seven-one wingspan.

The Austrian big man also played a bit of point-five following a hounding full-court press from Keldon and rewarded the wing for his efforts with a gorgeous assist on the break.

San Antonio capped the half with a flawlessly executed inbounds play that resulted in a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the always-trusty Patty Mills.

All-Star snub DeMar DeRozan fired an unbelievable back-to-the-basket skip pass to Trey Lyles in the short-corner for a triple that made sweet string music.

Recent Austin Spurs assignee Luka Samanic continued proving naysayers wrong, playing stellar man-to-man defense and recording his first double-figure scoring outing of the season.

Even two-way contract signee Keita Bates-Diop found a way to get involved, pursuing his misfire from three and putting it back with a reverse on the other side of the hoop.

Dejounte Murray took part in the Spurs’ three-point party, nailing an above-the-break trifecta off some textbook ball movement from his selfless teammates.

And here are the full game highlights should you feel like reliving San Antonio’s Tuesday night triumph and their absolute clinic on how to execute team-first basketball:

The Silver and Black return to the hardwood on Thursday night for a primetime matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder to close out the first half of their regular-season schedule.