I predicted 35 wins in 72-game year, knocking on door of playoffs with Thibodeau replacing Mike Miller (who had done a good job last year) as coach — so making the playoffs was no surprise. I figured the Knicks would be a low seed (7th or 8th) so a first-round exit was expected too at start of season.

Thibodeau’s Knicks

But Thibodeau got the Knicks playing a brand of ball that even I didn’t anticipate would be This good — on Defense and also Offense. So it was a disappointment that the 4th seeded Knicks were ousted by the 5th seeded Atlanta, even though Atlanta had the 3rd best record in the NBA after Nate McMillan took over as coach.

Disappointing 1st-Round Playoff Exit

And it was disappointing to see Randle struggle, even though Atlanta’s defense targeted him with double and triple teams. Barrett played well — I’d hoped he’d be more of an offensive juggernaut in the playoffs if Randle was being doubled — but again it was Capella at center stifling drives that caused Barrett and others trouble.

And of course as an Elfrid Payton fan it was tough watching him go into a slump at end of season. They could have used his D on Trae Young and penetrations on offense — but he was not his normal self at end of year and will probably not be brought back as a Knick.

Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks played great; hopefully they will be with Knicks for a long time. And Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson were terrific too. Obi Toppin looked real good in the playoffs and Immanuel Quickley plays with a fire and energy (and is a great shooter) that gives great hope for the future.

The Knicks getting hurt inside by Capella shows the importance that Mitchell Robinson has to this franchise; a good thing if it convinces the Knicks to invest in him long term.

The Future Is Bright

With Tom Thibodeau as coach, everything looks brighter than it had been for the future. The Knicks have a talented young team, and have tremendous cap flexibility. GM Scott Layden — who was not mentioned as someone making decisions in a mid-season report — apparently is still very influential in the Knicks player decisions, and that’s good news as he’s dome a good job assembling this cast and been prudent on spending.

The Knicks have a 26-year-old Julius Randle and a 20-year-old RJ Barrett as key building blocks, with 22-yr-old Mitchell Robinson another piece, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley as possibly other key pieces, and a lot of complementary players. And NY has good cap space and flexibility. The next few years are going to be fun to be a Knick fan.

The post Knicks Year in Review — 2020-21 appeared first on Knicks.City.

The Knicks took small leads at times in the 1st half, but couldn’t stay with Atlanta, who enforced their will in the 2nd half — taking a double digit lead and maintaining it throughout the 4th — ballooning it to 19 points at times. Trae Young got a lot of calls, going to the line 15 times, which didn’t help. The Knicks as a team only went to the line 18 times (Julius Randle 4 times). But it was Atlanta’s Defense and interior presence that really won the day.

Details:

1. Atlanta’s Interior Defense

Atlanta’s Defense — particularly their interior Defense anchored by Clint Capela with John Collins by his side — stymied the Knicks. New York could not get easy drives to the hoop throughout the series — which took away the penetrate-pass-pass offense that coach Tom Thibodeau employs.

Derrick Rose was dampened — 3-11 shooting for 6 points, which caused the Knick offense to mainly go thru Julius Randle, whom Atlanta doubled. Randle tried hard — too hard at times — causing 8 turnovers.

The Knicks were also hurt on the boards — although in the end Atlanta only enjoyed a 48-45 rebounding advantage. Taj Gibson did his best — 10 rebounds in 33 minutes, and Nerlens Noel played better — more recovered from his sprained ankle — but got 5 personal fouls and only played 16 minutes.

The Knicks could have REALLY used Mitchell Robinson in this series. Capela’s height advantage and shotblocking/rebounding capabilities really won the day for Atlanta. Capela had 15 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 14 pts on 6-7 shooting in this game.

2. McMillan Turned Atlanta Into Defensive Machine

And Atlanta’s defense at the 3 and all over the court caused the Knicks to score only 89 points. Nate McMillan was the worst thing to happen to the Knicks this year — taking over as coach in Atlanta midway thru the season, and turning them into a defensive juggernaut of a team — matching the Knicks in technique and intensity.

Atlanta has a lot of length too — and that length combined with their defensive practices caused every Knick pass to seem hard to make. That secondary length (besides Capela and Collins) comes from the likes of De’Andre Hunter (6’8 and defensive player of the year in college at Virginia), Onyeka Okongwu (6’8), Solomon Hill (6’8) — and even shooters Kevin Huerter (6’7) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (6’6), and of course Danilo Gallinari (6’8).

3. Knick Defense Did It’s Job

The Knicks defense pressured Atlanta’s 3’s — and even Trae Young did not have a good shooting game — 10-28 shooting (3-11 from 3) but he finished with 36 pts because of free throws (see below).

The Knicks corrected a lot of mistakes made in Game 4 — they guarded the 3 better: Bogdanovic was 1-7 from 3; Huerter was 2-6 from 3; Atlanta shot 9-34 from 3 for 26.5%. And the Knicks stopped Gallinari from scoring on his drives (he was 0-7 from the floor).

Atlanta only scored 103 pts.

4. Young 13-15 from Free Throw Line

Atlanta’s Trae Young got a lot of calls from the refs in the 1st half especially, and that did not help. Atlanta was 20-26 from the free throw line; NY was 15-18.

Young was 13-15 from the free throw line — he was getting to the line on the slightest contact, that he initiated. That by itself makes Atlanta a tough team to beat.

5. NY Couldn’t Get Offense Going Against Atlanta D

The Knicks could just not get their offense going against Atlanta’s D. Immanuel Quickley provided a spark at the start of the 4th quarter — hitting a 3 and getting a steal to pull NY to within 10. But then Trae Young answered and Atlanta came right back.

Obi Toppin looked good and made a nice baseline shot early in the 4th off a Barrett pass, but that was his only bucket — he had 2 pts in 10 minutes on 1-4 shooting.

LET'S GO, OBI. pic.twitter.com/7Ma8xNODhp

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 3, 2021

RJ Barrett was aggressive early and in the 4th, going to the basket and drawing fouls — he had 17 pts on 5-14 (2-6 from 3; 5-6 from the free throw line), 7 rebounds, 5 assists. Barrett made 1-2 free throws with just over 7 minutes left to pull NY to within 11. But then Trae Young hit a 3 down the other end and then he got a foul call and before you knew it Atlanta was up by 16 again.

RJ WORKIN' pic.twitter.com/NvQrpJ7C8C

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 3, 2021

Alec Burks had 12 pts on 5-10 and a +4.

Reggie Bullock shot well: 4-10 (4-8 from 3) for 12 points.

Randle played well enough — 23 pts on 8-21 shooting (3-9 from 3), 13 rebounds, and 3 assists.

REVERSE pic.twitter.com/UCS9LVPFuH

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 3, 2021

Atlanta’s Defense just won the day (as well as all the calls that Trae Young got).

A Good Year

I predicted 35 wins in 72-game year, knocking on door of playoffs with Thibodeau replacing Mike Miller (who had done a good job last year) as coach — so making the playoffs was no surprise. I figured the Knicks would be a low seed (7th or 8th) so a first-round exit was expected too at start of season.

Thibodeau’s Knicks

But Thibodeau got the Knicks playing a brand of ball that even I didn’t anticipate would be This good — on Defense and also Offense. So it was a disappointment that the 4th seeded Knicks were ousted by the 5th seeded Atlanta, even though Atlanta had the 3rd best record in the NBA after Nate McMillan took over as coach.

And it was disappointing to see Randle struggle, even though Atlanta’s defense targeted him with double and triple teams. Barrett played well — I’d hoped he’d be more of an offensive juggernaut in the playoffs if Randle was being doubled — but again it was Capella at center stifling drives that caused Barrett and others trouble.

And of course as an Elfrid Payton fan it was tough watching him go into a slump at end of season. They could have used his D on Trae Young and penetrations on offense — but he was not his normal self at end of year and will probably not be brought back as a Knick.

Bullock and Burks played great; hopefully they will be with Knicks for a long time. And Nerlens Noel and Gibson were terrific too. Obi Toppin looked real good in the playoffs and Quickley plays with a fire and energy (and is a great shooter) that gives great hope for the future.

The Knicks getting hurt inside by Capella shows the importance that Mitchell Robinson has to this franchise; a good thing if it convinces the Knicks to invest in him long term.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401327884

The post It’s Over. Atlanta Wins Playoff Series with 103-89 Victory. 5 Reasons Why appeared first on Knicks.City.

1. Bogdanavic, Gallinari, Collins Kill Knicks

Trae Young led Atlanta with 27 points but it was Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, and John Collins who killed the Knicks. Looking at the boxscore, it’s hard to believe Bogdanovic only scored 12 points — because listening on the radio, it seemed every time the Knicks were making a run in the 2nd half, you heard “Bogdanovic for 3 — good”. Or “Gallinari with the drive, he’s fouled and he’ll go to the line”. Or “Collins inside for 2”.

Bogdanovic shot 4-11 (4-9 from 3) for those 12 points for a team high +29. While Bogdanovic was shooting 3’s, Gallinari was driving to the hoop and scoring or drawing fouls; he scored 21 off the bench on 6-9 shooting (1-4 from 3, 8-8 from the free throw line). And then there was John Collins inside: 22 points on 6-10 shooting and 10 rebounds.

Young instigated a lot of that action, getting 9 assists along with his 27 points.

2. Randle Played Better

Julius Randle had a better game than the previous games — he shot better and made much better decisions moving the ball when double and triple teamed. He had 23 pts on 7-19 shooting (2-4 from 3 — it’s not been his 3 that has been off this series, 7-9 in free throws), 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals.

“I liked a lot of the plays Julius made today,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “That is part of Julius’s makeup; as he goes thru things, he always gets better and better. As long as he’s making quick decisions, good things are going to happen. I thought he did a great job with that. I liked a lot of the looks we got, particularly in the 1st half.”

pic.twitter.com/xs40CevBaw

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 30, 2021

3. Barrett Came on Strong

RJ Barrett had a good game — strong and aggressive from the start, and shot well. he had 21 points on 8-15 shooting (2-6 from 3, 3-4 from 3), 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.

IT STARTS ON DEFENSE pic.twitter.com/L2fjlA9ePS

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 30, 2021

4. Toppin Stars

Obi Toppin was a bright spot again, in the second half especially. He was aggressive and confident, especially in the half court. He finished with 13 points in 19 minutes on 5-8 shooting (1-3 from 3).

Obi workin'! pic.twitter.com/BO0a2CqKvj

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 30, 2021

5. Rose is a Rose

Derrick Rose started and played well again; 18 points on 7-15 shooting in 33 minutes.

D-Rose at the midway point:
16 PTS
6-9 FG
3 AST pic.twitter.com/HmRPz49QOq

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 30, 2021

6. Out-Rebounded & Lacked Interior D with Noel Hurt

Clint Capella and the Hawks outrebounded the Knicks 48-39. Nerlens Noel continued to play on his sprained ankle and looked not 100 percent in his 15 minutes. That hurt the Knicks as far as interior defense and rebounding.

A lot fell on the shoulders of Taj Gibson — who played 24 minutes (and had 6 pts, on 3-4 shooting, 3 rebounds).

7. Backcourt Could Not Match Hawks Shooting

Immanuel Quickley was scoreless in 13 minutes (0-3 shooting). Reggie Bullock was also scoreless in 34 minutes (0-4 shooting).

Thibodeau wasn’t concerned with Bullock’s scoreless game: “He only took 4 shots. We’re asking him to do a lot. He’s in a lot of action offensively, but he’s guarding Trae and he has to expend a lot of energy there.”

Alec Burks came on late and it was too late — he shot 4-12 (2-6 from 3).

AB slicing and dicing. pic.twitter.com/NXBY57Wuhr

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 30, 2021

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401327883

The post Out Shot. Out Rebounded. 7 Reasons Why Atlanta 113 NY 96 in Game 4 appeared first on Knicks.City.

Details:

1. Another Poor Game for Randle

Julius Randle had another horrid shooting game: 2-15 (2-7 from 3) for 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and a -9. Oddly enough his 3-pt shooting in all the games hasn’t been that bad. But he’s lost his mid-range jumper.

After the game John Collins, who defends him — was asked what Atlanta is doing to stop him. “It’s a secret,” said Collins. “I can’t tell you completely. But what I can tell you is we turned up the intensity, the physicality; my mentality and I think a couple of guy’s mentality has changed. Definitely the things we needed to change from a baseline level have been changed.”

John Collins says "it's a secret" to the Hawks shutting down Julius Randle

Asked on if he's sensed if Randle is getting frustrated: "I don't care, I hope so" pic.twitter.com/JlA9FHMXig

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 29, 2021

“They loaded up on him pretty good,” said Tom Thibodeau. When a team does that, and they put 2 and 3 guys on you, you got to make the play. You got to get easy buckets, transition, or off drive and kick; you got to keep moving around. And he’s seen a lot of that this year. But when you have a 2nd and then the 3rd guy — that can make it tough — but that should lead to the offensive rebounding and 3’s on the backside, so we have to trust the pass.”

2. Another Poor Shooting Game for Everyone Else (Except Rose)

At the half, Randle was 1-9, RJ Barrett 0-5, and Immanuel Quickley 1-5; the Knicks were down the 14 points. At the game’s end — these were the shooting numbers:

• Barrett 2-9
• Quickley 2-8
• Alec Burks 2-8

And the sarcastic jokes flowed: “who has less support — Luka Doncic or Derrick Rose?”

Rose said afterward, “When we’re not making shots, we still got to find a way to play with a consistent urgency and effort. They did a great job of finding guys on the second pass; hockey assists. If it wasn’t the 2nd pass they were driving the ball on the 2nd pass; just creating havoc. And we just need to make an adjustment.”

He added, “Everything fell apart in the 2nd quarter. We weren’t making shots and they gained confidence. We just have to find a way to grind it out when we’re not making shots. We can’t play lackadaisical on the defensive end when we’re not making shot.”

3. Rose a Rose

Derrick Rose was a rose again and again and again. 30 points on 13-21 shooting (1-5 rom 3, 2-2 in free throws), 6 rebounds, 5 assists. He carried the Knicks. And yet finished with a -16 so it goes to show how plus/minus numbers can be trash.

.@drose made his first playoff start since 2015 and kept staying aggressive.

30 PTS | 6 REB | 5 AST pic.twitter.com/FgW6914Jhb

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 29, 2021

Rose had to guard Trae Young for almost the whole night — Rose played 39 minutes. Elfrid Payton did not start and did not play. Immanuel Quickley and Burks played the point when Rose wasn’t in (although Frank Ntilikina saw less than a minute of daylight in the 2nd quarter before coming back out).

4. Atlanta’s Balanced Attack

Trae Young led the 19-4 run and finished with 21 pts on 8-19 shooting. But he didn’t kill the Knicks — Atlanta’s balanced attack did. Bogdan Bogdanovic was a pain in the ass all night — whenever the Knicks tried to make a run, there was Bogdanovic with a 3 or a score inside. Bogdanovic had 15 points on 6-12 shooting (3-4 from 3) but it felt like 30.

And then there was Kevin Huerter hitting a 3 whenever the Knicks tried to climb back into the game; he was 3-5 from the floor (3-4 from 3) for 10 pts.

De’Andre Hunter had 11 pts on 5-11 shooting, and John Collins rebounded off his horrible game in game 2 to have a very good all around game — beyond the defense on Randle (above) he was 6-11 (2-5 from 3) for 14 pts.

Clint Capela was tough defensively inside — causing Knicks to second-guess their drives. And he scored efficiently too — 6-8 on inside lobs and slams; 13 pts, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks.

5. The Answer to the Secret

Rose added: “They’re doubling from weird spots. They’re coming from sometime the top, mostly baseline, but if they make a move toward the top, their guys are doing a good job of just being in, right there; or just making sure a guy doesn’t get a clean lane or clean look. That’s what I mean about fast-break points — when you know that a team is playing in on your like that; you have to find ways to get anyone easy baskets; and you get that mostly in the open court, when the defense isn’t set, and they’re not locked in on you like that.”

6. Some Good News?

If there was just a little bit of good news — Nerlens Noel looked more recovered from the sprained ankle he played game 2 with — and played 22 minutes. He attacked the rim and got calls — going 10-12 from the free throw line for 12 points. They will need him healthy to take it back at Atlanta in a hope to win this series.

Taj Gibson played well in 26 minutes and Reggie Bullock didn’t shoot that poorly (3-8, 2-6 from 3, 3-3 in free throws for 11 pts).

Classic combo.

D-Rose finds Taj for two. pic.twitter.com/LqniVPuRRd

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 28, 2021

Obi Toppin played well again in 13 minutes — 4 pts and a -2. He wasn’t out there during the Atlanta run.

And the best news of all is what Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose said after the game (above). The Knicks played poorly in this game — shot poorly and didn’t have enough defensive intensity. On top of it Atlanta had that run in the 2nd to gain the confidence and momentum. The Knicks can play a lot better than they did in this game.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401327882

The post Can’t Shoot Straight. Except Rose. Reasons Why Atlanta 105 NY 94 in Game 3 appeared first on Knicks.City.

And then the final bit of Determination. Against an intense Atlanta defense:

• Derrick Rose hit a floater for a 93-91 lead;
• Reggie Bullock hit ANOTHER HUGE 3;
• Julius Randle drove the lane with Hawks ALL OVER HIM and fed Taj Gibson for a DUNK; and

LET'S GO TAJ! pic.twitter.com/46RxwU34Qw

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

• Randle drove the lane for a floater off a Derrick Rose pass and the Knicks had 9 straight points and a 100-91 lead with 1:13 left and ballgame.

Jules puts it up… PUTS IT IN! pic.twitter.com/0keFh65UKk

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

1. A Game of Runs

It was a game of runs. The Knicks ran out to a 7-4 lead. But Atlanta made a significant run to take a 22-12 lead, led by De’Andre Hunter who made two 3’s, a 3 by Danilo Gallinari, and a jumper by Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Elfrid Payton started out aggressively but played poorly again, missing 2 shots and got the hook 5 minutes in — NY down by 7 points. Derrick Rose came in, and ended up playing 39 minutes. Rose got the Knicks going and helped cut the Knick deficit to 5, at 25-20. But a Kevin Huerter dunk gave Atlanta a 27-20 lead after 1 quarter.

Here Come the Knicks — Atlanta Comes Right Back & Moreso

And then the Knicks 2nd team came in and sparked them — Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, and Alec Burks — playing alongside Rose. Their energy and aggressiveness led the Knicks back to within 32-31 Atlanta with 8 minutes left in the 2nd.

But then Atlanta made a run back — in the last 4 minutes of the half, Trae Young scored 11 points to carry Atlanta to a 15-point lead, 57-42.

A crazy Madison Square Garden crowd and millions of Knick fans watching at home were stunted. When would the Knicks take control of this game? Would they? Could they? Were we heading towards disaster?

RJ Barrett hit a jumper just before the half to make it 57-44 Atlanta.

Here Come the Knicks

The two teams traded buckets for the first 6 minutes of the 3rd — Atlanta maintaining their 12-pt lead — and then the Knicks began another run: RJ Barrett and Derrick Rose scored and Reggie Bullock hit back-to-back 3’s to tie the game at 72-72 with 2:41 left in the 3rd.

Julius Randle hit a step-back 12-footer and NY had a 74-72 lead.

4th Quarter — Knicks with Momentum

The Knicks kept the momentum going at the start of the 4th — it was the reserves again, amping up the Defense and coming at Atlanta offensively: a Burks jumper, Toppin dunk, Nerlens Noel tip-in, Toppin free throws, Quickley floater, and Burks jumper gave NY an 88-78 lead.

Momentum Swing to Atlanta — Refs Give Young Another Call

The Knicks ran a trap and Reggie Bullock stripped Trae Young at midcourt and it looked like a breakaway for a 12-point lead — but the refs called a foul. Bullock was chagrinned that Young got yet another barely-touched-him call. It was a momentum swinger.

Kevin Huerter hit a 3, Young got another call and made free throws, Young hit a floater, and Clint Capela made a layup assist Young and it was 88-87 NY with 6:30 left.

Reggie Bullock hit another Huge 3; but then Bogdonavic hit a jumper and Capela made an alley oop DUNK off a pass from Young to tie the game with 5 minutes left — and you know the rest (described above). The Knicks amped the D even more and found the Determination to get the victory.

2. Vintage Rose Saves the Day

Derrick Rose was spectacular — he was vintage Rose. Where would the Knicks be without him? 39 minutes — he played the entirety of the 2nd nd 3rd quarters, got a bit of a rest at the start of the 4th, and then the big finish. He had 26 pts on 9-21 shooting (2-3 from 3; 6-6 in free throws), 4 assists and a +12.

No moment is too big for D-Rose. He works for this

26 PTS | 4 REB | 4 AST pic.twitter.com/xuZvJErm1v

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

3. Toppin and the Reserves Spark Knicks

Obi Toppin played 12 huge minutes of energy and attack and defense and dunks and 3’s. He had 8 points, a block and a +6 and it seemed like more.

The moments you dream of.

Obi's mom got emotional when @TheGarden crowd chanted her son's name pic.twitter.com/pmhNtew7fB

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

4. Gibson Grit

With Nerlens Noel playing on an ankle he sprained in the previous game, Taj Gibson got the majority of minutes at center and he played as hard as could be — defense and ripping down rebounds — he had a team-high +23 in 30 minutes; 6 pts (on 3-4 shooting), 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block.

Our vet puts everything in perspective.@TajGibson | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/mOd4zMLg21

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

5. Bullock Steps Up

Reggie Bullock stepped up his shooting in this game — he was a low-key hero for the Knicks: 15 pts on 5-8 shooting (4-7 from 3 — HUGE 3’s) for a +13 in 31 minutes. Alec Burks had 11 points on 4-13 shooting.

When Bully gets it going >>> pic.twitter.com/Wdp5zT4syw

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

Julius Randle had another poor shooting game (5-16, 2-7 from 3 for 15 pts) but 12 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a Ton of Grit for a +3.

RJ Barrett had a good game (13 pts on 5-14 shooting, 2-5 from 3), and 8 rebounds, but did not play down the stretch. It is ok he is 20 years old. Coach Tom Thibodeau said afterwards he played veterans like Rose, Gibson, Bullock, and Burks a lot because of their experience.

Thibodeau Summed It Up

"I love this team. There's a great will and determination to them."

More from Coach, Julius, Derrick, Reggie & Taj after Game 2's win:

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 27, 2021

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401327881

The post Defense & Determination. Reasons Why NY 101 Atlanta 92 in Game 2 appeared first on Knicks.City.

It was a frustrating loss for the Knicks, who held the lead for a good part of the 4th quarter until the closing minutes, when the lead bounced back and forth and it was anyone’s game.

1. The Ridiculous Young Calls

The 1st of the ridiculous calls came with 5:03 left and the Knicks up by 4, 89-85. Young got into the lane and missed a short jumper, but they called Alec Burks for fouling him from behind when Burks barely touched him if at all. Ridiculous. But Young to the line for 2 free throws and Atlanta pulled to within 2 points.

The 2nd of the ridiculous calls came with 1:51 left where Young hit a floater, and they called Derrick Rose for a foul where Rose again barely touched him. But Young was to the line for an ‘and-one’ free throw for a 3-pt play and Atlanta took a 100-98 lead.

The 3rd of the ridiculous calls was the game winner — with 28 seconds left and a tie game, Young drove and missed a floater, but RJ Barrett was called for a foul, even though he didn’t touch him — or if he did it was the most miniscule contact. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau challenged. Everyone watching the replay assumed the Knicks would win the challenge. But they didn’t. The refs ruled it a foul and Young was to the line for the game-winning free throws.

Trae Young fouled with 27 seconds left. Knicks lose the challenge pic.twitter.com/7MbG15bnP0

— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) May 24, 2021

And there went the 1st game of the 2021 playoffs. Next game Wednesday night. It is a 7-game series.

2. Burks & Rose Heroes for Knicks

Alec Burks almost led the Knicks to this win — should have led the Knicks to a win as the Knicks would’ve won without the ridiculous calls to Young. Burks all season has been a ‘poor man’s Kobe Bryant‘ for the Knicks — actually scoring with the same moves and point totals of a Kobe Bryant — and in this game, he was Kobe Bryant in the 4th quarter. Scoring in all kinds of ways in big moments — slashing to the hoop, hitting turnarounds, hitting big 3’s.

Big bucket Burks pic.twitter.com/5wIT2W8SEL

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2021

Burks finished with 27 points on 9-13 shooting (3-5 from 3, 6-8 in free throws) for a +8.

Derrick Rose played vintage Derrick Rose all night — 17 points on 8-16 shooting, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists for a +3 in 38 minutes.

D-Rose for the tie! pic.twitter.com/jYFcrJtgAU

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2021

3. Quickley & Obi Lead Comeback

The Knicks were down early in this game — 22-11 — as they couldn’t hit a shot. But the second team, especially Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin, got them back into the game with frenetic play in the 2nd quarter. They pulled the Knicks to within 2 points at the half.

Both played with extreme confidence as if they were made for the frenetic action with the incredibly loud Madison Square Garden crowd.

That's nice, Quick. pic.twitter.com/aC7tsjOvnJ

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2021

Quickley had 10 points on 4-7 shooting (2-2 from 3) in 21 minutes for a +6. His aggressiveness and confidence was the opposite of Elfrid Payton, who came out sluggish and missed 3 inside shots and was pulled from the game after 8 minutes and not put back in.

Toppin had 5 points on 2-3 shooting for a +3 in 12 minutes.

4. Barrett Bully Ball in 3rd

RJ Barrett took over in the 3rd quarter. His driving layup with 10:26 left tied the score at 54. His 3 at 5:36 left pulled the Knicks within 2 at 63-61. On the next play his breakaway dunk tied the score at 63.

RJ BARRETT JUST DID 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 pic.twitter.com/4LINVWk7nb

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2021

Barrett’s tip in with 1:44 left in the quarter gave the Knicks a 70-66 lead.

NEW YORK HUSTLE pic.twitter.com/ojWEwfDv7t

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2021

Barrett finished with 14 points on 6-15 shooting (1-6 from 3). Not a great shooting night from him overall but he played well in the second half, with the big 3rd quarter and also made a huge drive with 2:37 left in the 4th to pull the Knicks within 2 at the time. Barrett also had 11 rebounds.

5. The Lou-Williams Run

The Knicks had a 6-point lead with 35 seconds left in the 3rd quarter — but Lou Williams hit a jumper and then a 3 after a bad pass by Julius Randle and Atlanta was right back in the game 73-71. Lou Williams hit a driving layup at the start of the 4th to tie the game.

That hurt. But the Knicks soon regained the lead due to Alec Burks’ play.

6. Randle Off Game

Julius Randle struggled all night to find his rhythm. He shot 6-23 for 15 points. He had 12 rebounds and 4 assists and hit a Huge 3 with 2 minutes left to give the Knicks a 98-97 lead. That should have been the redemption shot to make him a hero for the evening. But Trae Young got all those calls at the end.

Julius Randle for the lead… BANG! pic.twitter.com/4ZZUvbxNTO

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 24, 2021

Etcetera

Reggie Bullock also had an off game shooting, alongside Randle. Bullock was 3-9 (0-5 from 3) for 6 points in 19 minutes.

Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson played great down low; although both had a tough time contending with Clint Capella who is bigger then them. Noel sprained his ankle midway thru the 4th and Gibson finished the game at center.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401327719

The post The Phantom Fouls on Trae Young Game. 6 Reasons Why Atlanta 107 NY 105 in Game 1 appeared first on Knicks.City.

But Julius Randle and then Reggie Bullock made big buckets and Nerlens Noel and the Knicks defense held the fort as the Knicks EDGED Boston 96-92 on a Sunday afternoon game. With it, the Knicks clinched the 4th best record in the Eastern Conference (41-31) and home court in the 1st round of the playoffs, against Atlanta.

1. Knicks Ran Up Big Lead Against Depleted Celtics

The Celtics had nothing to win or lose with the game. They were set coming in with the 7th best record. And so the entire Boston starting team was out due to minor ‘injuries’: Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, and Tristan Thompson — all out.

Burks, Barrett & Bullock Put NY Up 15 at the Half

The Knicks were down by 1 after a quarter but took command at the end of the 2nd quarter. With the Knicks up 3 with 3 minutes left in the half, Alec Burks hit a 3 and RJ Barrett joined him with drives to the basket to build a 12-pt lead in minutes. When Reggie Bullock hit a 3 just before the half, the Knicks were up 15.

REGGGGGIE 4 for 4 from downtown pic.twitter.com/rf0KucGMBp

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) May 16, 2021

NY Up 12 After 3 Quarters

RJ Barrett scored 8 straight points at the start of the 3rd for the Knicks, and added a 3 and a drive later on to give NY a 12-pt lead at the end of 3.

RJ PERCOLATING pic.twitter.com/hkRDY668Ar

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 16, 2021

NY Up 17 In the 4th

At the start of the 4th, Alec Burks made two 3’s sandwiching a Derrick Rose floater and followed by an Immanuel Quickley floater and NY had a 17-pt lead with 9:21 left. It was looking pretty good for the Knicks.

𝒮𝒾𝑔𝓃𝒶𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒 𝒬𝓊𝒾𝒸𝓀 pic.twitter.com/tqhh3Zj0Oj

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 16, 2021

2. The Final 9 Minutes = The Waters Show

You have to play 48 minutes, coach Tom Thibodeau has said over and over this season. This game was a perfect example with the Knicks up by 17 and 9:21 left, when Tremont Waters took over. The diminutive 5’10” Waters:

• Hit a step-back jumper, then
• Drove the lane and fed Luke Kornet for a slam, then
• Hit another step-back jumper, and later
• Hit another step-back jumper to pull Boston to within 8 with 5:43 left.
• When Waters drove baseline again and fed Carsen Edwards for a slam with 4:15 left it was NY 91 Boston 87.
• Waters then hit a jumper with 2:13 left to make it 93-92 NY

Waters was a second round pick (#51) out of LSU in the 2019 draft. He can score.

Down but not out pic.twitter.com/0fPXioEfRH

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 16, 2021

3. Noel’s Block; Randle & Bullock Buckets Win It

Julius Randle then posted and swung the ball to old friend Reggie Bullock for a 2-pt jumper — Bullock had to avoid a defender and dribble in off the 3-pt line. It was nothing but net and a 3-pt Knick lead with 1:54 left — 95-92 NY.

Both teams then played tenacious defense the last 2 minutes — with 42 seconds left, Nerlens Noel blocked Tremont Waters ‘s driving layup.

NEL pic.twitter.com/pe4dBjeTOy

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 16, 2021

The Celtics retained possession and when Waters missed a 24-foot step back jumper with 32 seconds left, Boston was forced to foul.

Julius Randle made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 96-92. Waters missed a 3-pt jumper with 9 seconds left, Boston got the offensive rebound, and Jabari Parker missed a 3 with 3 seconds left for the old ballgame.

Etcetera

• RJ Barrett had a big-time game: 22 pts on 7-12 shooting (2-4 from 3, 6-8 in free throws)
• Alec Burks was Huge for the Knicks; he finished with 17 pts
• Julius Randle had a poor shooting game but hit big buckets at the end — finishing with 20 pts on 4-17 shooting (2-5 from 3, 8-10 in free throws) but 7 rebounds, 7 assists, a steal, and a block
• Reggie Bullock had 16 pts on 6-9 shooting (4-7 from 3)
• Nerlens Noel had 2 points — but this was The Nerlens Noel game — he affected the game so much with his defense in the closing minutes and his 3 blocks, 3 steals, and 6 rebounds in 32 minutes.
• Taj Gibson was a rock inside on defense as usual; he had 4 pts on 2-4 shooting in 18 minutes
• Derrick Rose had 7 pts on 3-9 in 23 minutes.
• Immanuel Quickley had only 2 points on 1-7 shooting in 14 minutes
• Eldrid Payton didn’t score in 14 minutes. He was blocked twice at the rim on drives by former Knick Luke Kornet, and on another play found himself in the lane — but didn’t take an open jumper — instead passing it outside. Afterwards you could see him on the sidelines at the 3 beating himself up for the mistake and not even paying attention to the play. His confidence seems shot right now.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/playbyplay/_/gameId/401307887

The post Knicks Squeeze Out Win; Clinch 4th & Home Court. NY 96 Boston 92 appeared first on Knicks.City.

With the win secured, all of NY spent Saturday evening constantly refreshing their browsers watching the Milwaukee-Miami score or gamecast, hoping for a Milwaukee home win over Miami that would put the Knicks back in the 4th seed, controlling their own destiny where a NY win over Boston on Sunday would seal it.

• Woody Allen was refreshing his browser
• Ben Stiller was refreshing his browser
• Spike Lee was refreshing his browser
• All of Knicks twitter were refreshing their browsers

Milwaukee jumped out to a huge lead from the start, and led by 24 in the 2nd quarter, but Miami kept coming back, eating into the lead, pulling to within 12 in the 3rd — but Milwaukee hung on to win sending Knicks Twitter into JUBULIATION at 10:30 pm in the evening.

Details on this game:

1. Knicks Took Commanding Early Lead in War of 3’s

Charlotte takes a lot of 3’s. On the evening they took 49 of them, out of 102 shots. They finished 13 for 49 from 3 (26%). In the first half of this game, the Knicks defense got out on the 3 and Charlotte missed a lot — the Knicks had a more conventional attack and took a 9-pt lead at the end of the quarter.

Reggie shot a perfect 4-4 from distance in the first. pic.twitter.com/dq9f3BzzEE

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 15, 2021

Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin hit back-to-back 3’s in the 2nd quarter to open up an 18-pt advantage for NY. The Knicks ended this game 16-37 from 3 — 43%; coming in the Knicks were 3rd in the NBA in 3-pt percentage.

on a frozen rope to Quick pic.twitter.com/eY96taGn9R

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 15, 2021

2. Charlotte Comes Back on Graham 3-pt Blitz

But then Devonte Graham went on a 3-point BLITZ, hitting 4 (four) 3-pointers in a 2-minute span midway thru the 2nd and Charlotte was right back in the game, 53-44.

Graham took a 3 and was fouled, then made 3 free throws to pull Charlotte to within 58-50 with 2:31 left in the half. Only a Julius Randle 3 with 2 seconds left enabled the Knicks to carry a 9-pt lead into the lockeroom.

3. Bridges Revenge Game in 3rd

At the start of the 3rd, Randle, Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, and RJ Barrett scored and Nerlens Noel went on a Shot Blocking Spree to get the Knicks lead back up to 17 midway thru the period. Noel had 5 blocks on the game (8 pts, 11 rebounds, and a +11).

Nerlens did all of this in a two-minute stretch. pic.twitter.com/mS4qDnPEpo

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 15, 2021

But then Miles Bridges went into Revenge Game mode — revenge for the Knicks picking Kevin Knox over him in the 2018 draft, it appeared. Bridges scored 10 straight points for Charlotte — a pair of 3’s and some viscous slam dunks to pull Charlotte within 8.

Derrick Rose scored 7 straight points for the Knicks at the end of the 3rd — but Bridges wasn’t done — he answered Rose with two more viscous Slam Dunks — the last one pulling Charlotte to within 3 to end the 3rd.

5. DEFENSE in 4th

Charlotte scored the first 7 points of the 4th quarter and when Devonte Graham hit yet another 3 with 10:32 left Charlotte was up by 4 and this one looked like it might slip away.

Coach Tom Thibodeau called time out. He replaced Derrick Rose — who had been scoring well but he may not have liked his defense on Malik Rose or Graham (and plus Rose had just missed the previous game with a slight ankle sprain), and went with Alec Burks at the point, and Immanuel Quickley at shooting guard, with Randle, Reggie Bullock, and Nerlins Noel.

And that team was able to lay a Defense against Charlotte and their 3’s that held the Hornets scoreless for over 4 and a half minutes — from 6:45 left (and Charlotte up by 4) to 2:09 left (with NY up by 4). In between, Julius Randle stepped up with a 3 and a 2-pt bucket to bring the Knicks back into the lead.

Big buckets by Julius.

Much needed. pic.twitter.com/1iPEK6eAbG

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 15, 2021

Terry Rozier made 2 big buckets in the last 2 minutes to tie the game and that was that — both teams played a good D to turn the game into a defensive struggle all of a sudden.

At the end of the 4th Burks was forced out trying to contain a loose ball, but no foul was called on the Hornet player — causing a lot of pissed of fans on Knicks Twitter, and giving Charlotte another chance to take a lead . But ball don’t lie — Devonte Graham MISSED a 3 with 2 seconds left to send the game to OT.

6. Knicks Take Command in OT

In OT, Alec Burks and Julius Randle and a 3 by Reggie Bullock gave the Knicks a commanding lead from the get go — they outscored Charlotte 14-5 to take the game and send all of NY into the evening prepared to watch the Milwaukee-Miami game on their cell phones (or NBA tv if they had it).

AB FOR THREE pic.twitter.com/3tGLaVYWpb

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 15, 2021

• Julius Randle finished with another triple-double, his 6th on the season — 33 pts, 10 rebounds, 13 assists and a +10. He shot 12-25 from the floor (4-10 from 3).
• Alec Burks had 14 points off the bench on 5-12 shooting (2-7 from 3).
• Reggie Bullock hit 3’s early and late (in OT) — finishing with 17 pts on 6-12 shooting (5-9 from 3) and a +14.
• Derrick Rose scored 15 (6-9 shooting, 1-2 from 3) but was a -8.
• Immanuel Quickley had 13 points on 4-8 shooting (2-6 from 3) and a +18.
• RJ Barrett had only 9 pts on 4-10 shooting — he played well but Thibs did not have him in during a majority of the 4th quarter, going with the 5 that pulled the Knicks from a 4-pt deficit to a 4-pt lead. Although Barrett was back in during the final seconds of the 4th when the Knicks needed a score.
• Taj Gibson ‘brought his lunch pail’ as usual.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401307878

The post Holding Court. 6 Reasons Why NY 118 Charlotte 109 in OT on 5-15-21 appeared first on Knicks.City.

Details:

1. Burks = Poor Man’s Kobe Bryant

With Derrick Rose out, and the Knick point guards Elfrid Payton and Immanuel Quickley both 0-4 from the floor for 0 points coach Tom Thibodeau had Alec Burks playing the point the entire 4th quarter.

The Knicks were down by 4 points entering the 4th quarter — this is how they scored:

• RJ Barrett led off with a 3 to pull NY within a point.
• Burks followed with a 3 to put NY up by 2.
• Burks a 2-pt jumper to tie the game at 81
• Barrett a 3-pointer to put NY up 3
• Julius Randle a 3-pointer to put NY up by 4
• Burks a 3-pointer to put NY up 90-85 with 5:08 left
• Burks a driving layup and one — a traditional 3-point play with 3:16 left to put NY up 93-90 — this was Huge
• Burks a 3-pter to put NY up 96-92 with 2:48 left — this was Huge
• Randle a 2-pt jumper with 56 seconds left to put NY up 98-94
• Burks free throws with 7 seconds left to make it 100-97 NY
• Barrett free throws with 1.8 seconds left for the final score.

Get the picture?

AB is on a mission.

28 PTS | 9 REB | 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/wWQFJmIu1s

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 14, 2021

Burks had missed the last 3 games of the West Coast trip. One can only imagine if the Knicks could’ve beaten Los Angeles if Burks were available — a game where the Knicks had 2 reliable scorers (Randle and Derrick Rose) against the frenetic Laker D. The Knicks might be holding 4th place in the playoff race, instead of 6th place and hoping that Miami and/or Atlanta lose one of their final games.

2. Barrett Stepped Up

The Knicks were up 5 early in the 3rd when San Antonio went on a 32-10 run to go up by 17, 75-58 with 3:45 left in the 3rd. This was looking like a San Antonio win. But RJ Barrett got the Knicks back into it — he hit a floater, two 3’s and made a traditional 3 on a drive to the basket and one — 11 points in the last 3 minutes of the quarter to get the Knicks within 4, at 77-73.

And Barrett made big buckets in the 4th — as shown above. He finished with 24 pts on 8-19 shooting (5-9 from 3, 3-3 in free throws).

RJ BARRETT HAS HIT HIS LAST SIX SHOTS

PLAYING OUT OF HIS MIND RN pic.twitter.com/r3mZK1ilaq

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) May 14, 2021

3. Randle Leads ‘Em

Julius Randle and RJ Barrett got the Knicks back into it. Randle did not have an efficient scoring night, but led the Knicks with his overall game — 25 pts on 7-21 shooting, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists.

Never fear, Julius Randle is here. pic.twitter.com/ptGcRBEvNO

— x – NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 14, 2021

4. DeRozan Stars for San Antonio

Demar DeRozan kept San Antonio in this game in the 4th, with quick drives to the basket. He had 27 pts on 10-18 shooting (0-0 from 3).

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401307861

The post Took Care of Business. 4 Reasons Why NY 102 San Antonio 98 on 5-13-21 appeared first on Knicks.City.

And it looked like the Knicks won the game when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed a 3 from the corner with 5 seconds left, NY leading 91-89. But Wesley Matthews snuck in to put an offensive rebound back in to tie the game and essentially send it to overtime — the play of the game.

In OT, the Knicks had a 99-98 lead and the ball with 38 seconds left when Julius Randle was called for a travel — arguable call it didn’t look like a travel and if so marginal at best; something not normally called — but Lakers got the ball and Talen Horton-Tucker hit a 3 with 20 seconds left to give the Lakers the lead and the eventual win.

THT CALLS GAME.

Lakers spoil the Knicks night. pic.twitter.com/N3oMepn5df

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 12, 2021

It is hard to write up a game like this which swung back and forth so many times — 20-something lead changes; so many big shots made; so many big shots missed. In the end, LA squeaked by in overtime and the Knicks fell from 4th to 6th place in the standings — with the same 38-31 record as Atlanta and Miami but trailing them both due to tie breakers. Miami holds the tiebreaker on the Knicks; NY holds the tiebreaker on Atlanta; Atlanta holds the tiebreaker on Miami. Like a scene out of a Quentin Tarantino movie.

The Lakers were without LeBron James and point guard Dennis Schröder. The Knicks were without Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, and of course Mitchell Robinson out for the rest of the year with the broken foot.

Details

1. Knick Defense Matched by Laker Defense

The game was hard fought back and forth all night — the Knicks going on little runs to take the lead, the Lakers going on runs to come back. The Knicks led by 4 to 10 points throughout the 4th quarter and when Frank Ntilikina hit a 3 with 7:39 left to give the Knicks a 10-point lead at 85-75, it looked like the Knicks were on their way to victory.

But serendipity, the Laker defense, and some 3’s got LA right back in the game. Serendipity happened on a couple of plays where torrid Knick defense caused a Laker miss but LA somehow got back the ball and then hit a 3. Some of the serendipity was due to an offensive rebound by Andre Drummond, who had a very good game (16 pts, 18 rebounds); some of it was simply the ball bouncing out to a Laker.

The Lakers matched the Knicks defensive intensity. They are coached by Frank Vogel — one of the best defensive coaches in the game, matching Tom Thibodeau. NY came in with the 4th best defense in the league; LA is ranked #1.

THIS EFFORT pic.twitter.com/PSjJX8KFmP

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 12, 2021

2. Randle & Rose Focus of Offense — Good & Bad

The Good

Julius Randle and Derrick Rose led the Knicks offense throughout the game but especially late in the 3rd quarter, in the 4th quarter, and throughout Overtime. Randle put on an All Star show, with big bucket after big bucket — mostly outplaying Anthony Davis throughout the evening. And Rose penetrating, orchestrating, hitting the floater.

All gas. No brakes. pic.twitter.com/p17MCQXx1y

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 12, 2021

Rose and Randle got the Knicks back on top at the end of the 3rd quarter, erasing a 6-pt deficit to the Lakers, and then led the NY charge in the 4th.

HUSTLE pic.twitter.com/cAvLTQgBbt

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 12, 2021

Randle had 31 pts on 11-26 shooting (4-8 from 3, 5-5 in free throws), 8 rebounds, 5 assists. Anthony Davis had 20 pts on 8-23 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists.

JULIUS RANDLE IS A PRIMETIME PLAYER pic.twitter.com/BXrWydXmW1

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 12, 2021

Derrick Rose had 27 pts on 10-22 shooting, 6 rebounds, 6 assists.

The Bad

But some of this was at the expense of the Knick wing players — Reggie Bullock and RJ Barrett — who didn’t see the ball much. Part of this was due to the torrid Laker defense which shut down the passing lanes and put pressure on the 3.

Both Barrett and Bullock were not having good shooting games from the start — and as the game went late — they hardly saw the ball. Again much of this was due to Laker defense guarding the passing lanes.

Reggie Bullock had only 5 pts on 2-9 shooting (1-5 from 3) in 46 minutes. RJ Barrett had only 8 pts on 2-13 shooting (0-7 from 3) in 38 minutes.

3. Ntilikina a Star

With Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley out, Frank Ntilikina got another chance to play major minutes and unlike the game before, where he found the bench after less than 10 minutes — in this game he Stared. He became a big part of the Knicks Defense and Offense in the 3rd quarter and into the 4th and Overtime — blocking shots, stealing passes, making n0-look passes, and hitting 3’s.

FRANK DIME TAJ JAM pic.twitter.com/9VdFmbUQ4q

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 12, 2021

Much of this was going on at 11pm and I tweeted that the French were asleep (it being 5am there) and were missing this. Immediately a number of French fans popped up saying they were right there watching it in France.

FRANK SAID NO pic.twitter.com/7L3D3d7jlw

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 12, 2021

Frank Ntilikina had 9 pts on 3-5 shooting (3-4 from 3) in 23 minutes.

4. Randle’s Runner Missed to End Regulation

After Wesley Matthews had tied the game in regulation (above) with the offensive rebound/putback — the Knicks had 3 seconds to try and win the game. They ran a play for Julius Randle and he drove the lane and just missed the layup — putting it up too hard.

5. Barrett’s Missed 3 to End It

The game came down to Knicks ball with 11 second left in Overtime, with LA up by 2 points. The Laker Defense became Intense and the best shot the Knicks could get off was a long 3 by RJ Barrett — 35 feet straight away — that clanked off.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401307850

The post Tough One to Swallow. 5 Reasons Why Lakers 101 Knicks 99 in OT appeared first on Knicks.City.