2023-24 Archives - Knicks.City https://www.knicks.city/category/2023-24/ We All Live in Knicks City Mon, 20 May 2024 03:16:24 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.knicks.city/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cropped-knickscity-32x32.jpeg 2023-24 Archives - Knicks.City https://www.knicks.city/category/2023-24/ 32 32 The End. Brunson Breaks Hand. Knicks Eliminated. Indiana 130 NY 109 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/the-end-brunson-breaks-hand-knicks-eliminated-indiana-130-ny-109/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/the-end-brunson-breaks-hand-knicks-eliminated-indiana-130-ny-109/#respond Mon, 20 May 2024 03:02:57 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6211 Indiana came out RED HOT from 3 and jumped out to a 20-point lead in the 1st half. The Knicks came roaring back in the 3rd to pull within 7 points and looked like they [...]

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]]> Indiana came out RED HOT from 3 and jumped out to a 20-point lead in the 1st half. The Knicks came roaring back in the 3rd to pull within 7 points and looked like they would take command.

But Indiana pushed the lead back to 10, and Jalen Brunson broke his hand slapping at the ball trying to steal it from Tyrese Halliburton on the break with 5:37 left in the 3rd — instead hitting Halliburton’s leg and breaking his hand.

Brunson went out with 4 minutes left in the 3rd and NY down 14 — never to return.

It was the final straw for NY — the straw that broke the camel’s injured back. Final score Indiana 130 NY 109 in the 7th game at Madison Square Garden on a Sunday afternoon. Indiana advances; the Knicks are eliminated.

Josh Hart played but wasn’t himself. OG Anunoby played the first 5 minutes of the game and hit his first two 3’s — but was pulled because Thibs saw he wasn’t moving well — and never came back.

Donte DiVincenzo and Alec Burks carried the Knicks offensively but it wasn’t enough against the torrid shooting Pacers, led by Tyrese Halliburton who was UNCONSCIOUS from 3, and T.J. McConnell who had a legendary game at the point guard position — disrupting the Knicks every way possible.

“We started slow,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “They’re a good offensive team. We made a run. At the end of the 2nd we played pretty good; we got some activity going. Then we made a run in the 3rd. Then we fell short. Guys gave everything they had, and that’s all you can ask. It was a battle all year, and there was nothing left to give at the end.”

“You hate to see all the injuries,” added Thibs. “Josh and OG tried to give us everything they had,”Β  “That says a lot about them. And then it was hit after hit; that’s part of it. Guys responded all year long. I’m disappointed in the sense that we won’t be able to play anymore. But I thought they were a great group to be around, and they gave everything they had.”

1. OG Started — Hit 1st Two 3’s

With Josh Hart injuring his ab muscle in the prior game — it looked like the Knicks would be coming out running on fumes. But there was HOPE to start as OG Anunoby was on the floor in the starting lineup!

And OG HIT his first two 3 attempts from the corner for the first 6 Knick points — the later one making it a 7-6 game a minute and a half in.

But Anunoby was clearly not himself on defense — and Thibs pulled him 5 minutes in; Anunoby would never return.

2. Halliburton UNCONSCIOUS from 3

It was a close game until late in the 1st quarter, when Indiana became UNCONSCIOUS from 3 — with Tyrese Halliburton hitting 4-straight flatfooted 3’s from the airport.

3. McConnell the DISRUPTOR

T.J. McConnell joined the fray and had a point-guard game for the ages — disrupting the Knicks on offense and defense.

On defense he continued to get away with physical play against Jalen Brunson, picking him up in the backcourt, and hounding him and often banging into him several times as he covered him the length of the court.

NY set picks to pull McConnell off Brunson.

On the offensive end, McConnell penetrated and scored, or dished, or hit floaters. He was the main reason why Indiana won the game and the series. He finished this game with 12 points on 6-8 shooting in 24 minutes, with 7 assists, a block, a steal, and a +21.

“Players study T.J. McConnell,” advised NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “What got him on a roster years ago by playing with effort, activity, a purpose, gets into you defensively, make others better hasn’t changed except for a bigger role and a big factor. Also, an extension of a coach and leader. Earned everything nothing given.”

4. Indiana Up by 22 in 2nd Quarter

Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam were also a load to deal with for the Knicks, who were limited in size with Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and OG Anunoby all out — and with Josh Hart not quite himself.

Siakam was getting free for jumpers in the paint and hitting every one over the smaller Josh Hart. Turner was scoring inside and hitting 3’s. Isaiah Jackson was causing problems also; McConnell was the engine driving the Pacer offense, and Indiana went up by 22 points midway through the 2nd quarter.

Isaiah Hartenstein was also banged up — he occasionally clutched at his midsection. He would finish with a subpar 0 points and 8 rebounds in 32 minutes.

Alec Burks rose to the occasion for the Knicks — taking it to the rim, scoring or getting fouled, hitting nothing-but-net 3’s. Burks led the Knicks back to within 15 at the half.

5. Knicks STORM Back to Within 7 in 3rd

Then at the start of the 3rd, the Knicks took control. They intensified their defense. Brunson started to hit 3’s and drives; Miles McBride added to the scoring, DiVo hit a 3, and NY pulled to within 7 points — 73-67 — on a Josh Hart jumper with 8:06 left in the 3rd.

Indiana made consecutive shots while the Knicks missed 3’s — to put the Pacers back up 10 — but Donte DiVincenzo hit a big 3 and NY was down 7 again at 77-70 with 6:43 left. Myles Turner turned the ball over. NY ball. The Garden was ELECTRIC.

The Knicks were going to do it. They looked like the better team. They were taking control.

And then … not.

T.J. McConnell re-entered the game.

McBride made a bad pass for a turnover — Myles Turner hit a 3. Indiana by 10.

6. Brunson Breaks Hand

Brunson turned the ball over — Haliburton raced ahead of the field for a layup — Brunson tried to swat at the ball to steal it and hit Haliburton’s leg instead — breaking his hand.

Indiana 83 NY 70.

A minute later Brunson would leave the court. Knick fans wondered where Brunson was as the minutes ticked away in the 3rd and Indiana started building back their lead. Word came across Twitter that Brunson went to the lockeroom and his father Rick Brunson went there too.

The ESPN National TV announcers — Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and JJ Reddick — didn’t mention anything of it, as all of Knicks Twitter and local media wondered what happened to Brunson. Finally word came a few minutes into the 4th that Brunson had broken his hand and was gone. Soon afterwards, the ESPN National announcers caught wind of it and announced it.

7. Burks & DiVo Tried Valiantly to No Avail

NY was down 17 heading into the 4th. Even without Brunson — NY fought hard to come back. Donte DiVincenzo started lighting up 3’s, and Alec Burks joined him in frantically trying to bring NY back in it.

NY pulled to within 13 with 6:28 left on a Burks jumper. But NY just didn’t have the firepower, or the length to defend inside.

For Indiana,Β Andrew Nembhard figuratively couldn’t miss — scoring 20 points on 8-10 shooting. Aaron Nesmith literally couldn’t miss — he had 19 points on 8-8 shooting.

DiVincenzo finished with 39 pts on 11-21 shooting (9-15 from 3). Burks had 26 pts on 8-13 shooting (2-5 from 3). Brunson had 17 pts on 5-17 shooting.

Precious Achiuwa had 4 pts (on 2-7 shooting) but 0 rebounds in 28 minutes. McBride had 8 points on 4-14 shooting (0-6 from 3).

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401658198

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/the-end-brunson-breaks-hand-knicks-eliminated-indiana-130-ny-109/feed/ 0 Knicks on Fumes. Indiana 116 NY 103 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-on-fumes-indiana-116-ny-103/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-on-fumes-indiana-116-ny-103/#respond Sat, 18 May 2024 15:31:31 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6207 Now even Josh Hart is badly injured — pulling an Abs muscle early in game 6. Hart continued to play but was not the same Hart. He left to the lockerroom for good in the [...]

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]]> Now even Josh Hart is badly injured — pulling an Abs muscle early in game 6.

Hart continued to play but was not the same Hart. He left to the lockerroom for good in the 2nd half.

No Hart.

No OG Anunoby.

No Mitchell Robinson.

No Julius Randle.

Meanwhile, Indiana played a PHYSICAL defensive game and attacked the Boards — beating NY easily, 116-103 on a Friday night in Indiana to force a 7th game.

“It’s not easy, but I think we just have to keep pushing,” said Isaiah Hartenstein afterwards. About Hart, Hartenstein said “He’ll do whatever to play. If his leg’s not falling off… he’ll probably play.”

1. Hart Injured Early

Josh Hart was playing a tough physical game from the start — but pulled an abs muscle at some point early in the 1st quarter — most noticeably feeling it at the 6:47-left mark when he scrambled for a rebound. He soon left the game, and then came back in and out of the game for the next 3 quarters, at one point going to the locker room for treatment and coming back, continuously nursing an ice pack over his abdomin when on the sidelines.

He played 31 minutes but was not the same Josh Hart — even tentatively missing an easy layup on a break at one point.

Without the normal Hart, the Knicks were playing on fumes.

“How bad do you want to win?” asked NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Josh Hart making winning plays as he’s the first one on the floor with his relentless pursuit, he wants it more and outworks you which leads to a Donte 3.”

2. McConnell Hounded Brunson

Meanwhile, Indiana came out with a tough, physical defense — hounding the Knicks for the full court on every possession — with T.J. McConnell HOUNDING Jalen Brunson — seemingly fouling him 3 times every time up court. But the refs were “letting the boys play.”

Brunson was also getting blitzed and double teamed — and was missing his shot. He hit his first shot of the game, then missed 11 in a row until halftime.

McConnell was also providing offense — 15 points on 7-13 shooting in 16 minutes. It felt like he played 35 minutes.

“T.J. McConnell plays with a purpose,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “knows his role and it doesn’t matter how many minutes he gets or how many shots he gets as his effort, activity, defense and his willingness to win and relentless pursuit never change. T.J.brings skills you can’t teach and skills he never cheats

3. McBride a Hero Early

Miles McBride was a hero early for NY — playing great D on Tyrese Halliburton, and hitting his 3, and his drives and pullups. McBride would finish with 20 points on 8-12 shooting (4-6 from 3).

NY actually had a 30-29 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, due mostly to the play of McBride and Donte DiVincenzo.

4. Indiana Played PHYSICAL Defense; Owned Boards

But without Mitch, without Randle, with Hart hobbled, and with Brunson missing his shot — Indiana outscored NY 32-21 in the 2nd quarter to take a 10-point halftime lead.

Indiana owned the boards. Myles Turner played an aggressive game, beating Isaiah Hartenstein on drives to the hoop, and doing a great job of blocking Hartenstein out from getting offensive rebounds.

Hartenstein finished with only 7 rebounds in 33 minutes. Turner had 17 points on 6-10 shooting and 8 rebounds.

Pascal Siakam was also getting loose in the lane, as a hobbled Hart had trouble guarding him. Siakam would go for 25 pts on 11-21 shooting.

NY was down by 13 points but a Donte DiVincenzo 3 near the buzzer pulled NY back within 10 at the half — and a second before the half ended, a technical was called on Aaron Nesmith off the ball.

5. Brunson Came Alive in 2nd Half — Not Enough

Jalen Brunson hit the technical free throw to start the 2nd half, pulling NY within 9, and then went to work — hitting a drive to break his schneid of 11 straight missed shots. McBride hit a drive and NY was back within 5.

NY intensified their D — but on the next two possessions Indiana got serendipity, long rebounds off missed shots, and hit 3’s as the 24-second clock was expiring — one by Andrew Nembhard and the next by Tyrese Halliburton — and that stung the Knicks — pushing them 11 back again.

It was more of the same throughout the 3rd and 4th quarters — the Knick defense was not able to contain 3-pt shooting by Indiana.

6. Burks a Hero; Brunson Strong 2nd Half

Alec Burks came off the Knick bench to give the Knicks a charge late in the 3rd and early in the 4th — scoring on drives and 3’s and getting to the line. He had 11 pts.

Jalen Brunson continued to attack until the end — finishing with 31 points on 11-26 shooting, looking like the old Jalen Brunson in the 2nd half despite McConnell continuing to hound him and seemingly foul him 3 times each time up court.

With Indiana up by 19 points, Thibs pulled the plug with 4 minutes left, bringing in the 3rd team which included Jacob Toppin.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401658197

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-on-fumes-indiana-116-ny-103/feed/ 0 Knicks Get a Little Bit of Payback. NY 121 Indiana 91 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-get-a-little-bit-of-payback-ny-121-indiana-91/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-get-a-little-bit-of-payback-ny-121-indiana-91/#respond Wed, 15 May 2024 18:49:06 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6196 The Knicks got a little bit of payback for the drudging they took on Mother’s Day 2 days earlier, when Indiana crushed them 121-89 in Indiana to even the best-of-7 playoff series at 2-2. NY [...]

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]]> The Knicks got a little bit of payback for the drudging they took on Mother’s Day 2 days earlier, when Indiana crushed them 121-89 in Indiana to even the best-of-7 playoff series at 2-2.

NY came out like a different team — renewed with energy and decisiveness — hitting rhythm 3’s, murdering Indiana on the boards for unending 2nd-shot opportunities, and grabbing every loose ball — in a blowout win at Madison Square Garden by an almost identical score but flipped the other way — NY 121 Indiana 91.

Jalen Brunson led the charge — looking like his ankle was A-OK. He scored 44 points on 18-35 shooting. Miles McBride was an attack dog — scoring 17 and neutralizing Tyrese Haliburton, who was questionable before game time with a bad back, and played like it — 13 points in 32 minutes.

Isaiah Hartenstein DOMINATED the boards — both on the offensive side and defensive side. iHeart had 17 rebounds — 12 of them offensive boards, as he outplayed Myles Turner up front.

Josh Hart was everywhere, Donte DiVincenzo played frenetic defense and skied for the slam of the playoffs, and Alec Burks came off the bench to play a hero’s role again with 18 pts on 6-11 shooting (5-8 from 3).

The Knicks now lead the series 3-2 but the payback isn’t over — they still need to win one more game to advance to the Conference Finals — to not just pay back Indiana, but all of the talking heads on media who spent the prior 2 games SMASHING the team — blaming Tom Thibodeau for the injuries, calling the team a “fluke” as Draymond Green did, or openly rooting for NY to lose, as has been the case with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.

“We still need one more win,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “We can’t be too excited about it. We have to understand what we need to do — stay focused on the task at hand. If you feel good about yourself you get knocked down in this league. You gotta be ready to go.”

“I thought Isaiah was phenomenal,” added Thibs. “Everyone — it was a great team effort but Isaiah in particular; those extra possessions were huge for us. I thought we got great production — obviously what Deuce did was huge, just to be ready to step in; and then Precious and Alec were really, really good for us off the bench. And Jalen of course was Jalen and Josh was Josh. Our defense was good; our rebounding was good; taking care of the ball was good. But we’ll have to be better in this next one.”

1. NY Comes Out Attacking: Indiana Attacks Back

NY came out attacking with energy, looking like a different team than the tired-looking team of game 4.Β  But Indiana matched the energy, and took a 20-14 lead off scores by Myles Turner, T.J. McConnell, and an Obi Toppin drive.

2. McBride Energizes NY at End of 1st Quarter

But the Knicks notched their attack up a level on the play of Miles McBride on both sides of the court. McBride hit a drive, then hit Josh Hart for consecutive passes for scores, and then another drive and NY was up 31-25 with 2:11 left in the quarter.

The game had changed course — for good.

On the defensive end, McBride locked down Haliburton.

3. Knicks Go Up by 18 Pts in 2nd Quarter

The Knicks kept up the relentless attack in the 2nd — Brunson with a drive then a Precious Achiuwa block of an Aaron Nesmith drive, leading to a DiVincenzo ahead-of-the-field slam and NY was up by 10 pts.

Isaiah Hartenstein was attacking the boards on both offense and defense, setting screens and picks to free up shooters, and finding men with passes out of the block.

“Isaiah Hartenstein having an early impact by simply bringing big time effort, activity and his hardhat,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “His activity on the offensive glass is giving the Knicks 2nd chance opportunities, setting screens to create space for others, defending, finding the open man and competing.”

Tempers started to flare — Isaiah Hartenstein and Isaiah Jackson got into it — and both were called for technical fouls, as was Alec Burks.

The Knicks continued on the attack — with Jalen Brunson scoring, and scoring, and scoring some more every which way. Brunson was in his bag.

Alec Burks and Miles McBride joined him.

NY went up by 18 points on a Josh Hart drive — 65-47 with 2:11 left. Indiana was down 15 at the half.

4. Turner Hits Three 3’s in Row to Start 3rd

Then at the start of the 3rd, after Isaiah Hartenstein hit 1 of 2 free throws to start the period, Myles Turner hit 3 consecutive 3’s in 3 times down the court — and Indiana was down by only 7 just like that. NY 70 Indiana 63.

5. Knicks Go on 19-1 Run to Go Up 25; Tempers Flare

But NY responded — amping up the defense — and blew Indiana off the court with a 19-1 run.

  • Divo hit a drive;
  • Hart hit a drive;
  • McBride hit a 3;
  • Brunson hit a 3;
  • McBride dunked off a Divo pass ahead of the field;

  • Divo came out of nowhere for a put-back SLAM — the dunk of the game.

More Tempers Flare

Tempers flared — with Donte DiVincenzo and Myles Turner getting into a heated confrontation. Both were hit with technicals.

The Knicks continued their run:

  • Burks came in and hit free throws;
  • Josh Hart hit a drive and NY was up 25 — 89-64 with 3:13 left in the 3rd — a 19-1 run.

Hartenstein POUNDS the Boards

In between all that, Hartenstein was POUNDING the boards for offensive rebounds and 2nd chance opportunities for NY. Josh Hart was grabbing ones he didn’t get.

“Players like Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein don’t need plays called for them to stay engaged,” enthused NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Also it’s no accident that they find themselves in the right position to get rebounds, 50/50 balls, easy buckets, deflections and blocks from their relentless will and pursuit.”

6. Burks & Brunson Shoot Down Indiana Comeback Attempt

Finally Nesmith hit a 3 to end the run. Indiana regrouped and tried to get back in the game — with Haliburton hitting consecutive drives. But Alec Burks countered with a 3 and NY had a 96-75 lead entering the 4th.

Indiana attempted a comeback at start of the 4th — Pascal Siakam with a drive-and-1 followed by a T.J. McConnell drive-and-1 and then a Siakam 3 — 9 straight points and Indiana was down by 12.

But Alec Burks hit a Huge 3, and then, after a Siakam drive, Jalen Brunson went back to work with back-to-back floaters and a drive to put NY back up by 17, at 105-86.

NY’s DEFENSE intensified — Indiana went 4.5 minutes without scoring; stuck on 86 — from Siakam’s drive with 9:45 left, until a Haliburton drive with 5:16 left. By that time NY had a 109-88 lead.

And then Alec Burks hit another 3. NY up 112-84 with just over 4 minutes left.

7. Indiana Waves White Flag with 3:30 Left

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle raised the white flag with 3:30 left, bringing in the 3rd team that includes former Knick Doug McDermott.

Thibs responded in kind, bringing in Shake Milton, DaQuan Jeffries, Mamadi Diakite, and Jericho Sims to finish it out.

Josh Hart fiinished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block.

Etecetera

Madison Square Garden was ELECTRIC all evening — the place to be in all of sports in all the world.

Former Knicks were all over the stadium, supporting the current team — especially John Starks and Stephon Marbury who were on the sidelines rooting the Knicks on like they were their dads.

Former Knicks at the game include Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, John Starks, Stephon Marbury, Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson, Alan Houston, Bill Bradley, Carmelo Anthony, Kyle O’Quinn, and Herb Williams.

 

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401658196

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-get-a-little-bit-of-payback-ny-121-indiana-91/feed/ 0 Worst Loss of the Year. Indiana 121 Knicks 89 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/worst-loss-of-the-year-indiana-121-knicks-89/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/worst-loss-of-the-year-indiana-121-knicks-89/#respond Mon, 13 May 2024 14:48:41 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6189 Indiana blew the Knicks off the court on a Mother’s Day Sunday afternoon, 121-89, to tie the best-of-7 series at 2 games apiece. The injury-depleted Knicks couldn’t hit the 3, and Indiana could. NY shot [...]

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]]> Indiana blew the Knicks off the court on a Mother’s Day Sunday afternoon, 121-89, to tie the best-of-7 series at 2 games apiece.

The injury-depleted Knicks couldn’t hit the 3, and Indiana could. NY shot 7-37 from 3; Indiana shot 14-31.

T.J. McConnell came off the bench as aΒ  house of fire, combining with Obi Toppin to energize the Pacers, and they put NY on their heels, leading to rhythm 3’s. Indiana was off to the races, in front 34-14 at the end of the 1st quarter, leading by 69-41 at the half, and leading by about 40 points throughout the 2nd half.

The banged up Knicks had no mojo — with OG Anunoby out, and Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle out for the year. Jalen Brunson still looks affected by the ankle sprain of game 2.

“Fell behind early. Didn’t respond well. Have to fix it. Get ready for the next one,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “We started slowly; they made shots; got a big lead. Snowballed. So, we have to respond.”

1. Indiana Up by 20 After a Quarter

It was a disaster from the start — as Indiana jumped out to a lead, and the Knicks kept missing their 3’s. Indiana jumped out to a 10-4 lead, and then TJ McConnell came in and revved up the Indiana offense even more.

On the radio, Monica McNutt said Knick fans should have no fear — NY would just need to “keep axing wood and carrying water”.

But Obi Toppin came off the bench for a floater, a 3, and a drive on consecutive possessions and Indiana was up 34-11 near the end of the 1st quarter.

“T.J. McConnell stays ready, knows his role and plays hard regardless if he gets 2 minutes or 20 minutes as his effort, activity, defense, make others better and leadership never change,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Also, first one off the bench to greet a teammate and first one on the floor for a loose ball.”

2. Indiana Up by 28 at the Half

Indiana kept pushing it in the 2nd quarter. Brunson kept missing shots short.

Alec Burks came off the bench for NY and was the lone bright spot — hitting several drives and getting to the line. Burks finished with 20 pts on 5-11 shooting (2-6 from 3) and 8-10 from the free throw line.

For Indiana — Halliburton (20 pts) scored on drives and 3’s; including an unconscious one from way downtown.

Myles Turner hit drives and 3’s (he was 5-5 from the floor, 3-3 from 3). Pascal Siakam scored on drives (7-9 from the floor for 14 pts).

At the half, the Pacers were 10-21 from 3, the Knicks were 2-13 from 3. Indiana was up 69-41.

3. Indiana Up by 38 after 3 Quarters

It was more of the same in the 3rd — Indiana upped the lead to near 40 points.

“I thought we were slow to the ball; and usually we’re very quick to the ball,” said Thibs afterwards. “So that’s the biggest thing. And everything starts with our ball pressure — we have to make sure we have good ball pressure, and then the shell — and if you’re a step behind in the shell you’re going to give up high percentage shots. We have to look at it, make corrections, and then have that will and determination to bounce back.”

With Indiana up 94-60 and 2 minutes left in the 3rd, Thibs pulled the plug — bringing in the 3rd team — with Shake Milton (remember him?) coming in and soon afterwards DaQuan Jeffries entering the game with Indiana up 99-63.

4. Knicks Empty Bench for the 4th

In the 4th, the Knicks had Jericho Sims, Shake Milton, DaQuan Jeffries, and Mamadi Diakite on the floor with Miles McBride.

At least the Knick starters got a chance to rest a bit:

  • Donte DiVincenzo would finish the game 3-13 from the floor and 1-6 from 3 in 32 minutes.
  • Brunson was 5-17 from the floor (0-6 from 3) in 31 minutes.
  • Josh Hart was 1-6 for 2 points in 24 minutes.
  • Isaiah Hartenstein was injured in the 2nd and played 22 minutes, scoring 4 pts on 2-3 shooting.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401657423

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/worst-loss-of-the-year-indiana-121-knicks-89/feed/ 0 Nembhard Prayer 3 Wins It; Pacers Get Lotsa Calls. Indiana 111 NY 106 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/nembhard-prayer-3-wins-it-pacers-get-lotsa-calls-indiana-111-ny-106/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/nembhard-prayer-3-wins-it-pacers-get-lotsa-calls-indiana-111-ny-106/#respond Sat, 11 May 2024 14:11:51 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6184 The Knicks got seemingly Robbed on a number of controversial calls down the stretch, missed a couple of key free throws, were out-rebounded (42-41), and had a couple of Jalen Brunson‘s runners roll in and [...]

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]]> The Knicks got seemingly Robbed on a number of controversial calls down the stretch, missed a couple of key free throws, were out-rebounded (42-41), and had a couple of Jalen Brunson‘s runners roll in and out in the closing minutes — but it came down to a 31-foot heave as the 24-second clock was expiring by Andrew Nembhard with 30 seconds left that cost NY this game.

Brunson had just tied the game with a CLUTCH 3 with 42 seconds left, and the Knicks played great D — forcing a Tyrese Halliburton 3-pt miss — but Indiana got the long serendipity rebound and 14 seconds back on the clock. NY defended like glue and Nembhard threw up the prayer and hit as the clock was expiring, to Mike Breen’s BANG on the national broadcast.

Then after a timeout — Brunson attempted a 3 in traffic with 13 seconds left hoping to draw a foul — missed, and didn’t get the call — one of 6 controversial calls that went against NY in the 4th quarter. Ballgame. It was free throws after that.

At least the Knicks didn’t get “run off the court in the 3rd quarter” as the ESPN halftime analysts predicted they would; NY without OG Anunoby (and Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle) and with a slightly gimpy Jalen Brunson, still recovering from the ankle sprain of the prior game.

In fact they almost, coulda, woulda won. Next game Sunday afternoon in Indiana.

“From my vantage point I thought those calls could have gone our way, but I’m not going to comment until I look at the film,” said Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “But we just have to find a way to win — that’s the bottom line.”

Josh Hart said one of the referees was unapproachable, which was unusual. “What was tough for us was that one of them wasn’t approachable. Obviously in a playoff game — you want to see what someone interprets or where they see the foul so you know how they’re calling it. One of them wasn’t approachable at all. But it’s not on them we had plenty of chances to win the game.”

1. Brunson Comes Out Sketchy; Indiana Races to 10-Pt Lead

Jalen Brunson was listed as “questionable” to play in this game due to the ankle injury suffered before halftime of the previous game. But he was on the court at the start of the game — although he seemed a bit tentative as his vertical was off, and his shot was not falling.

Indiana meanwhile came in with their backs to the wall — down 2-0 in the series — and raced out to a 22-12 lead on the scoring of Tyrese Halliburton (on his way to 35 points on 14-26 shooting, 6-16 from 3), Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner.

2. DiVincenzo Saves the Knicks

It wasn’t looking good for NY until Donte DiVincenzo hit back-to-back 3’s late in the 1st quarter to pull NY back within 4 points at 24-20.

 

“Donte DiVincenzo can really shoot the ball and he makes himself even tougher by catching in triple threat, understands how to move without the ball, use curls/screens with quick release,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Also, can take you off the bounce which opens his jumper more and overplay him and he backdoors u.”

DiVincenzo would be Offensive Story 1a for the Knicks all night — with 35 points on 12-26 shooting (7-11 from 3).

“Tough loss for the Knicks but Donte continues to play great ball,” added Kreines. “I don’t generally retweet myself but in 2018 I tweeted this out of the draft. Donte does everything you ask and more along with never cheating you of effort like most of Jay Wright’s players.”

3. BURKS Off the Bench — NY Down 5 at the Half!

Indiana went back up 9 after Divo’s 3’s on a 3 by Nesmith and drive by Siakam — giving them a 29-20 lead entering the 2nd quarter — but then Miles McBride hit a big 3 and Offensive Story 1B for the Knicks joined the fray: Alec Burks coming off the bench, hitting a J.

It was just the beginning of a great night for Burks — 14 points on 4-6 shooting (2-4 from 3) in 21 minutes with some key defensive plays too. Burks has been much maligned by Knick fans this year after NY acquired him with Bojan Bogdanovic in February — for his play which seemed out of sorts with the frenetic brand of ball NY plays.

But not on this night. Burks was keyed in and looked every bit the disruptor.

Brunson started to hit his shot, and NY raged back.

TJ McConnell came in, and on this night McBride did a better job defending him. McBride also continued to add to the scoring.

Halliburton and Turner hit-back-to-back 3’s midway thru the 2nd to put Indiana back up 8, but Brunson answered with a 3 and a drive-and-1 and NY was back within 2.

Burks continued to score to keep the game tight — hitting free throws off a drive and two 3’s late in the quarter.

A Siakam shot near the buzzer put Indiana up 5 at the half.

4. Knicks Take Lead in 3rd

On the halftime show two of the ESPN analysts predicted Indiana would blow NY away in the 3rd quarter. It didn’t happen. The Knicks in fact took the lead.

Myles Turner hit two drives inside early in the 3rd to put Indiana up 9 again — but out of a Thibs timeout DiVincenzo hit a drive-and-1, and then another drive to pull NY back within 4. Divo hit a 3 to pull NY within 3.

Indiana answered with 8 straight points on 3’s by Halliburton and Siakam and a Siakam drive — and Indiana was back up 11 — but Brunson found Hartenstein for a floater in the lane, and Divo hit ANOTHER 3 and NY was back within 6.

Other Knicks joined the scoring fray — Brunson with floaters and Hartenstein with an offensive rebound and tip-in. Then Divo hit ANOTHER 3 and NY was down 81-80.

Obi Toppin made a drive but then Hartenstein BLOCKED Ben Sheppard ‘s dunk which led to a Josh Hart pass to Divo on the break for a drive-and-1 and NY took the lead 85-83!

Josh Hart hit a J, and Burks hit free throws and NY took a 90-85 lead into the 4th quarter.

5. Knicks Up by 9 Early in 4th

DiVincenzo hit ANOTHER 3 to start the 4th and NY was up 8.

McBride joined the scoring, with free throws, and then a 3 and NY was up 9 — 98-89 — with 9:46 left.

6. Halliburton Leads Pacers Back; NY Doesn’t Get Calls

But Indiana came back — seemingly helped a bit by calls that went against NY.

Controversial Play that Swung Momentum

Halliburton drove in the lane and barreled into Knick defenders but got the call for an and-1 — foul on McBride — making it 98-92 — a key play that gave Indiana momentum. Some Knick fans on Twitter felt Thibs should have challenged the call — but it was hard to say if the refs, who received stinging criticism from Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle before the game — would reverse such a call.

Halliburton then made another drive, then stole the ball on a Brunson pass for another drive and Indiana was down 98-96 with 7:42 left.

Brunson hit 1 of 2 free throws; Siakam countered with a drive and then also went 1-2 from the line and Indiana was back on top by a point.

NY Loses Its Challenge

A key play happened with 4:23 left, when the ball went out of bounds under the Indiana basket after a fight for the ball — it was ruled off NY — but Brunson asked Thibs to challenge. NY did and lost the challenge — the replay showing indeed the ball went off Brunson last. That was key as NY didn’t have a challenge anymore for some arguable calls down the stretch.

Indiana gained possession but Siakam missed a shot, and Brunson came down and hit a clutch step-back to put NY back up 101-100 with 3:53 left.

Two More Controversial Calls

Then came another controversial call that went against NY:

Siakam drove the lane and ran over Brunson for an apparent offensive foul — but the refs called a foul on Brunson.

And then came another controversial call on the very next play — Brunson drove and was mugged by Nembhard — the refs called a foul but Indiana challenged. The refs ruled that Brunson was not fouled at the end of the play (saying nothing about the mugging leading up to it).

Another Controversial Play

And then came another controversial play — after a Josh Hart free throw tied the game, Hart stole a Halliburton pass and raced up the court for a drive that would put NY ahead — but Myles Turner blocked the drive from behind. Replays showed it may have been a goal tend that wasn’t called by the refs. Josh Hart howled. Knick fans on Twitter howled.

“I know it was a goaltend. I saw it,” said Josh Hart afterwards.

Another Controversial Play

But Indiana had the ball, Nembard hit a drive while Hartenstein was being pulled back from defending by Pascal Siakam — not called and Indiana was up 2 with under 2 minutes left.

Brunson was fouled — and hit 1 of 2 free throws down the other end — another thing that would haunt.

Siakam hit a drive with 54 seconds left and Indiana was up 2.

But Brunson came down and hit a HUGE 3 and the game was tied 106-106 with 42 seconds left.

Then came the Nembhard prayer.

Final Controversial Play

Even the final 3-pt attempt by Brunson — which Brunson himself felt was a bad shot — was met with suspicion by many Knick fans who felt he was indeed fouled. But the refs didn’t call it and the Knicks lost.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401657422

 

The post Nembhard Prayer 3 Wins It; Pacers Get Lotsa Calls. Indiana 111 NY 106 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/nembhard-prayer-3-wins-it-pacers-get-lotsa-calls-indiana-111-ny-106/feed/ 0 Brunson Emerges from Locker Room — Leads Knicks to ANOTHER BARNBURNER Win. NY 130 Indiana 121 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/brunson-emerges-from-locker-room-leads-knicks-to-another-barnburner-win-ny-130-indiana-121/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/brunson-emerges-from-locker-room-leads-knicks-to-another-barnburner-win-ny-130-indiana-121/#respond Thu, 09 May 2024 14:29:34 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6178 Jalen Brunson went out of the game late in the 1st quarter and was gone to the locker room — and nobody knew why. An injury on the court of some sort — no one [...]

The post Brunson Emerges from Locker Room — Leads Knicks to ANOTHER BARNBURNER Win. NY 130 Indiana 121 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> Jalen Brunson went out of the game late in the 1st quarter and was gone to the locker room — and nobody knew why. An injury on the court of some sort — no one knew what it was or how severe. Reports came across the Twitter wire that Leon Rose left the court to go there; Jalen’s father, assistant coach Rick Brunson — left the court to go there.

As the minutes ticked away throughout the 2nd quarter — all of NY waited for news; searching Twitter for any sort of information. Replays showed him possibly injuring his ankle, or leg, or getting hit in the balls on a play just before he left. There was a report by some doctor that he had broken his foot. Another that he had broken his hand.

Indiana meanwhile, took advantage of Brunson’s absence, turning a 7-point deficit when he left into a 10-point lead at the half.

But as the 2nd half was about to begin — Brunson emerged from the locker room to a Roaring cheer from a relieved Madison Square Garden, and proceeded to score 21 points in the 2nd half to lead NY to another BARNBURNER win in the closing minutes!

Meanwhile, OG Anunoby — who was dominating with his play — went out with an injured hamstring in the 3rd quarter, never to return — and now all of NY waits with baited breath and searches Twitter for latest news on his injury.

“I think we started the game well,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “The end of the 1st didn’t go as well as we would like. The 2nd quarte was a problem, but I love the way we responded in the 3rd, and the way we finished it out in the 4th.”

NY takes a 2-0 game lead in the best of 7 series that heads back to Indiana.

1. NY Jumps out to 24-13 Lead; Brunson Exits

NY “punched Indiana on the nose” to start the game — coming out aggressively and executing on their passing game. Brunson was attacking and scoring, or hitting a 3, or feeding Josh Hart for a drive. Hartenstein fed Anunoby for a drive, then grabbed an offensive rebound and put one home himself. Anunoby hit a 3. Donte DiVincenzo hit a 3 and NY was up 24-13.

Hartenstein wass a rock for NY all game — on the offensive and defensive side.

“Isaiah Hartenstein knows his role and if he seems to be in the right position at the right time it’s no accident,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “It starts with his effort, work on both backboards, sets screens, finds the open man, outworks you and defends. Plays to his strengths, always engaged and just competes.”

2.Β Brunson Exits; Indiana Comes Back

But Obi Toppin hit a 3 to slice the lead and with 3:32 left, Brunson got injured on a play and left the game.

T.J. McConnell started to attack, and Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton started hitting 3’s and Indiana roared back. Obi Toppin continued to be a pain in the ass — hitting a drive and then 3 free throws after being fouled taking a 3 by Miles McBride with .1 second left in the quarter. He made all 3 free throws to tie the game 36-36 heading into the 2nd.

3. Indiana Takes Over in 2nd Quarter; 10-Pt Lead at the Half

With all of NY wondering where Jalen Brunson was, Miles McBride led the Knicks — but T.J. McConnell continued to be a pain in the ass — attacking the rim for pullups or drives, or feeding Pacers like Obi Toppin for a 3, or Pascal Siakam for a drive.

The Knicks fought back — OG Anunoby put the Knicks on his back on offense — scoring on drives and 3’s — and Josh Hart was everywhere doing Josh Hart things — but Indiana gradually pulled out to a 10-pt lead on a 3 by Tyrese Haliburton with 3 minutes left in the quarter.

Halliburton was much more aggressive in this game after only scoring 6 points in the 1st game. In this one he had 34 pts on 11-19 shooting (7-11 from 3).

A Donte DiVincenzo 3 pulled NY to within 6, but Andrew Nembhard hit a deuce and a 3 in the last minute, sandwiching a Precious Achiuwa drive — and Indiana took a 10-pt lead into the locker room.

4. Brunson Returns; NY Pulverizes Pacers in 3rd; Take 8-Pt Lead

And then Jalen Brunson came out of the locker room to take warmups to start the 3rd. Madison Square Garden erupted in relief.

A Nembhard drive put Indiana up 12, but the Knicks stormed back.

Donte DiVIncenzo hit back-to-back 3’s, Josh Hart hit a drive, Brunson made free throws, and Hart made another drive off a Hartenstein assist and NY tied the game 79-all.

“Shooting the ball is a tremendous skillset and so are understanding how to utilize screens and move without the ball which Donte DiVincenzo does,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Put your defender at your mercy.”

Anunoby hit a 3 from the corner and NY was up 3.

Donte DiVincenzo came out of nowhere to score in traffic on a backdoor play, assist Josh Hart — and NY was up 84-79 with 6:41 left as MSG ERUPTED! Indiana timeout.

Anunoby blocked a Nesmith drive, then scored down the other end and NY was up 88-81.

Then with 3:27 left — horrors — Anunoby pulled his hamstring defending a full court drive by Indiana, falling out of bounds as Brunson fouled Tyrese Haliburton.

Brunson took over during the final minutes of the 3rd, with a 3 and a drive off a Hartenstein assist — and NY had an 8-pt lead heading into the 4th.

5. Indiana Pulls With 1 Point in 4th

But TJ McConnell — who Josh Hart complimentary called a “pain in the ass” before the playoffs — continued to be a pain in the ass.

He scored on a drive and a jumper early in the 4th to pull Indiana back.

Brunson answered with a jumper and 1.

McConnell was playing a Very physical defense on Jalen Brunson — banging Brunson on drives — and the two engaged in trash talking.

When McConnell hit a jumper in the lane with 8:03 left, Indiana was down 102-101. Knicks timeout.

Dogfight

The two teams went back and forth for the next few minutes — Madison Square Garden erupting on each Knick score:

  • Hart a 3,
  • Siakam a jumper,
  • Brunson a drive,
  • Myles Turner a drive off a Halliburton pretty-pass assist,
  • Brunson a 3 to make it 110-105 NY,

  • Nembhard a 3,
  • Hartenstein a dunk off a Hart assist,
  • Haliburton a drive to make it 112-110 NY.

6. The Final Frenetic Minutes

Donte DiVincenzo hit ANOTHER Huge 3 with 4:20 left and NY had a 5-pt lead.

NY ratcheted up their defense.

With 3:40 left, DiVincenzo came out of nowhere to grab an offensive rebound, and feed Precious Achiuwa for a dunk — NY 117 Indiana 110. Pacers timeout.

Gushed NBA Analyst Ross Kreines: “Former Jay Wright players understand the use of fundamentals, they defend, find the open man, compete but what Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte also bring are skills you can’t teach in toughness, fearlessness and the willingness to always do more and never relent or quit.”

Out of the timeout Halliburton hit a 3 — Indiana would just not go away and Knick fans just could not get a game where it wasn’t a frenetic finish.

Hartenstein answered, powering inside and getting fouled — and hitting both free throws.

The Knicks defended, DiVincenzo grabbed the rebound off a Turner 3-pt miss, fed Brunson and Brunson went to work with another mid-range jumper. NY 121 Indiana 113.

Halliburton hit free throws but DiVincenzo hit ANOTHER HUGE 3 and NY was up 124-115 with 1:33 left.

Indiana STILL would not go away — Hartenstein BLOCKED a Halliburton drive, but Indiana got the rebound and Nesmith hit a serendipity 3 from the corner to pull Indiana within 6 with 1:23 left.

Hartenstein Goofy Dribble & the Inadvertent Whistle

Indiana pressured the inbound — Hartenstein got the ball and dribbled over the midcourt line — and the refs called an inadvertent whistle. It seemed like they called him for traveling with the ball for a turnover — but they convened and said no, it was no call. This enlivened Indiana coach Rick Carlisle, who would soon pick up a tech. But not yet.

Brunson Ices It

Brunson went to work — he missed a floater but Precious Achiuwa grabbed the offensive rebound — fed Divo — who missed a 3 but NY grabbed the offensive rebound again, and Brunson drove for a floater with 40 seconds left to give NY a 127-118 lead and ice it.

 

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle went ballistic at this point, at the call on Hartenstein and his perceived lack of calls throughout, got two Techs and was ejected; Brunson made both free throws and the game was essentially over.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401657421

 

The post Brunson Emerges from Locker Room — Leads Knicks to ANOTHER BARNBURNER Win. NY 130 Indiana 121 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/brunson-emerges-from-locker-room-leads-knicks-to-another-barnburner-win-ny-130-indiana-121/feed/ 0 Knicks Win Another Frenetic-Finish Barnburner. NY 121 Indiana 117 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-win-another-frenetic-finish-barnburner-ny-121-indiana-117/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-win-another-frenetic-finish-barnburner-ny-121-indiana-117/#respond Tue, 07 May 2024 14:10:07 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6168 Another Barnburner for the Knicks. Another frenetic finish. This time against Indiana in the 1st game of the Best-of-7 game 2nd round. The Knicks were down by 9 points with 10 minutes left in the [...]

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]]> Another Barnburner for the Knicks. Another frenetic finish.

This time against Indiana in the 1st game of the Best-of-7 game 2nd round.

The Knicks were down by 9 points with 10 minutes left in the game, but came back once again with a 5-man gloved team of Defense, Jalen Brunson offense, and Josh Hart and OG Anunoby clutch defensive plays and key rebounds.

In the end it was Donte DiVincenzo hitting a Huge 3 to break a 115-all tie with 40 seconds left that put the Knicks ahead for good.

In the final frenetic, see-saw, heart-attack 40 seconds:

  • Pascal Siakam scored off a broken play to pull Indiana within 1 with 26 seconds left,
  • On the inbounds, Andrew Nembhard kicked the ball out of bounds but the refs ruled it off Brunson with 22 seconds left. The Knicks challenged and won, so regained possession.
  • On the next play, Indiana pressured Brunson on the baseline, and out of room, he threw the ball off Nembhard while falling out of bounds — but the refs ruled the ball off Brunson.
  • Indiana had the ball down a point with 15 seconds left, but Myles Turner set a moving pick on Donte DiVincenzo at mid-court, called by the refs as DiVo fell to the ground. Indiana challenged but lost the challenge.
  • Indiana then fouled NY — off the ball — on the in-bounds play — Jalen Brunson getting a free throw and NY getting the ball back.
  • Indiana then purposely fouled Brunson to stop the clock, and he hit both clutch free throws to put NY up 4 with 10 seconds left — and NY had the win.

On a Monday night at a crazy loud Madison Square Garden.

Brunson was 14-14 from the free throw line in the game, and scored 43 points on 14-26 shooting (1-4 from 3), while his counterpart Tyrese Haliburton had 6 points on 2-6 shooting.

NY’s starters Hart (48 minutes), Brunson (44 minutes), DiVincenzo (44 minutes), Anunoby (42 minutes), and Hartenstein (36 minutes) played almost the entire game each. Mitchell Robinson spelled Hartenstein for 12 minutes off the bench; Miles McBride played 9 minutes and Precious Achiuwa played 5 minutes.

“You always put the team first. Whatever’s necessary to help the team, that’s what you’ve got to do and right now, that’s where we are.” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwardsΒ when asked about Hart playing 48 minutes. “And that’s where we’ve been the entire season — we’ve been shorthanded the whole season. And this team has the belief that it can win. So whatever you have, give it to the team — and that’s what we’re asking everyone to do.”

NY takes the 1st game of the series.

1. NY Jumps Out to 1st Quarter Lead

NY came out aggressively with scoring by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart .

Josh Hart was the glue for the Knicks all game — he would finish with 24 pts on 9-13 shooting (1-1 from 3), 13 rebounds (4 offensive), 8 assists, 3 steals, and a block.

“Josh Hart takes no play for granted and like most former Jay Wright players he uses fundamentals,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “First he catches in triple threat, use of shot fake then uses pivot foot and finishes then uses a jab step and hits a 3 and then uses the rim to protect himself against a shot blocker.”

When OG Anunoby hit a with 1:15 left in the quarter, NY was up 24-17.

But Indiana closed the quarter well as T.J. McConnell came in and started penetrating, dishing, and scoring —Β  to pull back the Pacers back within 27-24.

2. Indiana Closes 2nd Quarter Well

It was more McConnell in the 2nd quarter, with Ben Sheppard hitting a 3 and Isaiah Jackson playing a big game inside: blocking a shot, rebounding, and scoring.

  • Myles Turner blocked an Isaiah Hartenstein dunk, and then down the other end hit a reverse slam and Indiana was up 35-32 with 7:22 left in the half.
  • Turner then scored on a tip shot off an offensive rebound to put the Pacers up 37-32.
  • But the Knicks fought back on scoring by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

Hart was keeping NY in the game with rebounds and his patented full-court drives and finishes — the best ever at it.

 

Even with Hart’s heroics, Indiana was beating the Knicks on the boards, and NY was turning the ball over. The game had an off feel to it, as the refs kept calling fouls and there seemed to be no rhythm to the game.

  • Turner hit a 3 to put Indiana up 40-36.
  • A DiVincenzo drive tied the game at 44 with 2:41 left.

But NY did not finish the quarter well.

  • McConnell hit a drive, Siakam hit a J, Sheppard scored inside, and Haliburton hit a step-back 3 with 3 seconds left to give Indiana a 9-pt lead.

3. Hartenstein Hits 3/4 Court Shot at Halftime Buzzer

And that’s when Isaiah Hartenstein took a desperation 3/4 court, 46-foot heave at the buzzer and HIT — to pull NY within 55-49 at the half.

4. Knicks Take Lead in 3rd But Indiana Closes Quarter Well

NY stormed out in the 3rd and took the lead, despite the scoring of Myles Turner.

  • DiVincenzo hit a 3 to slice the Indiana lead, but Pascal Siakam countered with a 3.
  • Hart hit a drive, but Siakam countered with a drive.
  • Hartenstein dunked off an Anunoby assist.
  • Hart kept driving to the hoop, drawing fouls — he made free throws after a drive, followed by a Turner dunk, and then made more free throws after a drive.
  • A DiVincenzo dunk off a Hart assist tied the game at 62. Indiana timeout. Madison Square Garden ROARED.

  • Hartenstein hit a floater after a Turner jumper and it was tied again at 64.
  • Brunson hit a drive after Turner free throws, and it was tied again at 66.

At 6:13 left, Jalen Brunson blocked Turners shot inside but was called for a foul. The Knicks challenged and won the challenge — the refs ruling it was a clean block.

It was a key play and key challenge win — as the Knicks would need that challenge on the ball-off-Nembhard’s-leg call in the final minute.

  • DiVincenzo then hit a drive and NY was back up, 68-66.
  • Myles Turner tied it with a layup, but
  • DiVincenzo hit a 3, and
  • Hartenstein dunked off a Hart pass, and NY was up 73-68 with 4:37 left in the 3rd.

Indiana Again Closed a Quarter Well

Indiana closed another quarter well:

McConnell reentered the game.

  • Nembhard hit a step-back,
  • Obi Toppin hit a drive,
  • McConnell hit a drive,
  • Turner made free throws,
  • Obi Toppin dunked, and Indiana was up 78-73.

The Knicks fought back — Brunson fed Mitchell Robinson for a dunk, then Brunson and McConnell exchanged drives.

But McConnell stole the ball from Brunson and passed up court to Obi Toppin, hanging in the backcourt, whoΒ  threw down a between-the-legs slam. The MSG fans were non plussed.

DiVo hit a 3 and a drive to pull NY back within 2, but Myles Turner ended the quarter with a desperation 3 at the buzzer and Indiana had an 87-82 lead.

5. Brunson, Hart & OG Huge in Frenetic 4th

And then came the frenetic 4th — when NY would end a quarter well — the most important quarter.

It didn’t look good early for NY as Indiana went up by 9 points early in the quarter on Siakam free throws and another McConnell drive.

But Brunson put the Knicks on his back offensively — he would score 21 points in the quarter.

  • His free throws pulled NY back within 6, and a key offensive rebound by Mitchell Robinson led to a Josh Hart dunk and it was 94-90 with 9:26 left at a ROCKING Madison Square Garden.

  • DiVincenzo hit a 3 off a Hart assist and it was a 94-93 game.

The next few minutes were a back-and-forth dogfight:

  • Aaron Nesmith made back-to-back drives, countered by Brunson drives and floaters.
  • Nembhard hit a pullup to put Indiana up 5 — Brunson answered with a drive.
  • Nembhard hit free throws to put Indiana up 104-99 with 6:05 left.

Hart, Hart, and More Hart

But then on a key play — Josh Hart answered with a drive and was fouled, making it Indiana 104-101.

Hart missed the free throw but grabbed his own rebound and scored again inside!

“Can’t tweet it enough,” exclaimed NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Josh Hart puts himself not finds himself in position that results in winning plays with his relentless pursuit. He outworks all on the glass, every 50/50 ball belongs to him, defends, fearless going to the rim and just wants it more. Plays for the name on front.”

It was Indiana 104 NY 103 — although the score on the broadcast showed it 104-104. They then corrected it to 104-103 confusing the audience.

Turner hit a free throw to put Indiana up 2, but on the next play DiVincenzo missed a 3 but Josh Hart grabbed ANOTHER key offensive rebound and was fouled inside. He went 1-2 from the line and it was still Indiana up 1.

Siakam hit a runner and Nesmith made free throws and Indiana was up 5 with 4:27 left.

But Jalen Brunson rose to the occasion yet again, hitting a 3 to pull NY to within 109-107.

OG, OG, and More OG

OG Anunoby then came up with a huge steal on the baseline against Haliburton, feeding Brunson who was fouled. Brunson hit both free throws and it was a tie game with 3:29 left.

OG Anunoby did it again on the very next play — stealing the ball from Haliburton on the right baseline and going length of the court for a slam and NY was up 111-109 with 3:11 left.

Brunson, Brunson, and More Brunson

The Knicks defended Siakam into a miss inside, Hartenstein grabbed the rebound, and fed Brunson for a drive and floater and NY was up 113-109 as Madison Square Garden erupted once again.

But Indiana came back — Nesmith seemed to set a moving pick on DiVincenzo, who ran into him and Nesmith flopped down. DiVincenzo roared complaint but Nesmith got free throws.

A Siakam drive off a Turner steal tied the game at 113 with 2:10 left.

Haliburton stole the ball from Brunson but was called for a foul. Indiana challenged and won the challenge. On replay it was clear that Haliburton swiped the ball just before hitting Brunson’s arm.

Nembhard then hit a drive and Indiana was up 2 with 1:33 left.

Brunson put the Knicks on his back once again — coming down and hitting a 13-footer despite Indiana throwing their defense at him. Tie game — 115 all — with a minute left.

NY defended — Nembhard missed a 3 — NY had the ball — Brunson came down and passed inside but the ball went off Nembard’s leg for a kicked ball.

Indiana howled that Nembhard had hit it with his hand first — but teams cannot challenge a kicked-ball call.

DiVincenzo HUGE 3 Puts NY Up for Good

NY had the ball back and DiVincenzo hit the 3 to put NY ahead with 40 seconds left — a lead they kept in the final frenetic seconds for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401657420

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/knicks-win-another-frenetic-finish-barnburner-ny-121-indiana-117/feed/ 0 Josh Hart Killer 3 with 25 Seconds Left the Clincher! NY 118 Philly 115 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/josh-hart-killer-3-with-25-seconds-left-the-clincher-ny-118-philly-115/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/josh-hart-killer-3-with-25-seconds-left-the-clincher-ny-118-philly-115/#respond Fri, 03 May 2024 17:07:39 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6155 In another frenetic, pressure-packed game in this playoff series, Josh Hart nailed a CLUTCH 3 from the top of the circle with 25 seconds remaining to break a 111-111 tie and give the Knicks the [...]

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]]> In another frenetic, pressure-packed game in this playoff series, Josh Hart nailed a CLUTCH 3 from the top of the circle with 25 seconds remaining to break a 111-111 tie and give the Knicks the edge they needed for the win, eliminating the 76’ers in Philadelphia, 118-115.

The game became a pressure-cooker free-throw shooting contest the last 25 seconds as NY fouled Philly intentionally to deny them taking a 3, and on the other end, Philly fouled NY to prevent them from wasting out the clock. Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson hit 4 CLUTCH free throws for NY. A desperation Buddy Hield heave at the buzzer missed badly and NY had the elimination win — taking the series 4 games to 2.

DiVincenzo played all 48 minutes, doing a fantastic job defending Tyrese Maxey, who was forced into 6-18 shooting (1-6 from 3) for only 17 points, while DiVo scored 23 on 8-18 shooting (5-9 from 3).

Jalen Brunson was the Knick engine in the 4th, hitting CLUTCH 3’s and pullups in traffic — finishing with 41 points (on 13-27 shooting, 3-8 from 3) and 12 assists.

“I’d like to start off just congratulating the 76’ers on their season; their entire organization: their coaching staff, their players, ownership, management,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “Every game was hard fought. It was a great series. Each game could go either way. But it was a hard-fought series. We’re fortunate, and now we have to get ready for Indiana.”

“The start of the game was important for us,” continued Thibs. “To bounce back like that. To be ready. To build a big lead.Β  They fought back; which, there’s going to be runs. Then we responded again. And then the 4th quarter was one big play after the next. And a lot of times it was the hustle plays. And that’s the thing I love about our team — it’s a team; they’re fighters; they don’t stay down. And that’s the biggest part of mental toughness is always having the ability to believe you can do better. Whether we win or lose, we always want to do better.”

NY now takes on Indiana in round 2.

1. NY Jumps Out to 22-Point Lead in 1st Quarter

NY was coming off the BRUTAL loss at Madison Square Garden in Game 5, where they blew a 6-pt lead with 26 seconds left — as Mitchell Robinson fouled Tyrese Maxey on a 3-pt attempt for a 4-pt play, and Josh Hart missed a crucial free throw in the closing seconds. Maxey had also lit NY up for 46 points.

Thibodeau made an adjustment to defense — sticking Donte DiVincenzo on Maxey the entire game. It worked.

Brunson came out attacking, Anunoby was hitting pullups, Hartenstein was scoring inside, Hart was moving the ball, and DiVincenzo was hitting 3’s. NY jumped out to an 11-2 lead, upped it to 24-9, and went up 33-11 with 2 minutes left in the quarter.

2. Philly Comes Back to Take 10-Pt Lead on Hield 3’s

But Philly came back. Joel Embiid was looking almost spritely. Philly intensified their Defense; Nicholas Batum hit a 3 and some free throws, Cameron Payne hit a 3, and Batum added another 3 as Philly sliced into the Knick lead to 33-22 with 38 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

Josh Hart answered with a 3 to give NY a 14-pt lead entering the 2nd quarter — but then it got ugly for NY.

Philly’s confidence started to grow and with it their defense amped up even more. NY couldn’t buy a bucket — and the 76er’s rolled.

And then Buddy Hield came off the bench to KILL the Knicks from 3.

Hield is a shooter’s shooter who has Killed the Knicks in the past; when he gets on a roll he gets on a ROLL — and he got on a roll. He hit 5 of 7 3-pt attempts in the quarter.

  • Hield hit back-to-back 3’s early in the quarter to pull Philly within 11.
  • Hield hit another 3 with 4:44 left to pull Philly within 2.
  • Hield hit back-to-back 3’s to put Philly up 47-44 with 3:19 left.
  • Hield hit another 3 with 7 seconds left in the quarter to give Philly a 54-49 lead.

Finally, in the last seconds of the half, the Knicks got the ball to Hartenstein for a dunk inside with 2 seconds left to make it 54-51 Philly heading into the 2nd half — showing NY still had fight.

3. Knicks Come Back to Take Lead Entering 4th

Philly continued to roll early in the 3rd — with Joel Embiid getting to the line multiple times, Kelly Oubre Jr hitting big buckets, and Tyrese Maxey hitting a 3 to put Philly up 10 — 71-61 with 6:54 left.

Worst of times.

But NY fought back.

DiVincenzo hit a 3 to slice the lead. Hartenstein hit a floater inside. The Knicks upped the intensity on their defense. Brunson drove and was fouled — made 2 free throws and NY was within 3.

It was a dogfight to the end of the quarter.

When Josh Hart ripped down an offensive rebound off a DiVincenzo miss, and fed OG Anunoby for a step-back 3 from the corner with 21 seconds left, NY had tied the game.

“Josh Hart only plays one way and his will to beat you on the offensive glass creates 2nd chance opportunities which leads to this OG 3 ball,”Β noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines.

4. OG & Brunson Key Knick 4th Quarter Rally

A similar play started the 4th: Josh Hart ripping down Another offensive rebound and feeding OG for a 3 from the top of the key and NY had the lead back, at 86-83.

Dogfight

The teams exchanged blows for the next few minutes — NY taking the lead; Philly countering: an Oubre 3 tied it; a DiVincenzo drive put NY up; a Maxey drive tied it; a Mitchell Robinson DUNK and OG drive put NY up 4; a Buddy Hield 3 and Batum offensive rebound and dunk put Philly back up a point, 93-92 with 7:54 left.

McBride 3

That’s when Miles McBride stepped up. McBride only played 9 minutes in the game with Divo playing 48 minutes guarding Maxey. But McBride was in and hit a HUGE 3 from straight away and NY was back up 95-93.

Brunson Back-to-Back 3’s

Embiid tied the score with a jumper inside but Jalen Brunson came down and hit a HUGE 3 from the left side, then next time down hit a HUGE 3 from the right side and NY had a 6-pt lead with 6:25 left.

Knicks Take Control

Maxey countered with a drive-and-1, but Brunson countered that with a floater in the lane in traffic.

Divo hit a drive and NY was up 7. Brunson made ANOTHER tough floater in the lane and NY was up 8 with 3:29 left! Philly timeout.

Out of the timeout, Embiid barreled into the lane and fell down over OG and Hartenstein — and drew a foul; his free throws pulled Philly within 6.

But OG countered with the DUNK of the game and NY was up 109-101 with 2:43 left!

5. Knicks up 8 with 2:43 to Play; Philly Comes Back

But Philly would not die! Oubre hit a 3 and Maxey came down on the break and made a circus shot falling to the ground with 2 Knicks defending heavily — and Philly was back within 3! An Oubre dunk made it 109-108 NY with 1:11 left.

6. The Final Frenetic Minute

With NY up a point, Jalen Brunson slipped past Oubre into the lane, with Oubre hovering tight behind him, then stopped and popped, made the floater and was fouled by Oubre — as Knick fans jumped for joy at tv’s across Knickland. NY 111 Philly 108 with 53 seconds left.

But Brunson missed the -and-1 free throw and Maxey came down and drove baseline — missed but was fouled with 34 seconds left. The refs examined the play and said it was goaltending on Hartenstein and it ended up being a drive-and-1 by Maxey for a tie game!

After a Thibs timeout, NY ran a play to get the ball to Hart at the top of the key. Hart, who had missed a key free throw at end of regulation to lose the prior game — got the pass from Brunson, faked a pass right, and hit the 3 in a shot heard ’round Knick universe.

“Josh Hart puts himself not finds himself in position to make winning plays, not with a 40+vertical to rebound but with effort and will, gets 50/50 balls because he wants it more, causes with activity and defends with big time pride,” summed NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Also, hits big shots as he’s fearless.”

After that it was free throws — NY intentionally fouling to not let Philly get off a 3, and Philly intentionally fouling to not let NY run out the clock. DiVincenzo and Brunson hit 4 pressure-packed free throws, and on the final play of the game, Buddy Hield got a desperation 3 off — but missed badly.

7. Donte Did a JOB on Maxey; Great Team Effort

A key to the game was the JOB that DiVincenzo did on Maxey, limiting him to 17 points on poor shooting, while scoring 23 himself on efficient shooting.

“Donte you can’t say enough about his all around play,” said coach Thibs afterwards. “Shot making; hustle; defense; and Maxey is a load to deal with; pick and rolls; transition; when he gets off the ball he doesn’t stop moving; you have to keep moving with him. I thought Donte’s effort was terrific.”

“Josh is Josh, “continued Thibs. “OG had a number of big plays. Isaiah had a tough battle inside and Mitch gave us really good minutes. And when Deuce came back in the 4th quarter he hit a big shot, made some big plays for us as well. And then Jalen you can’t say enough about. Every big shot.Β  They’re getting the ball out of his hands. Our guys did a good job of spacing and getting the ball back to him, and creating the right shots for him. And then his shot making and tough plays; he gets knocked down and gets back up and keeps going. Never stops.”

When asked if he thought of spelling Josh Hart in the 4th quarter when he looked gassed, Thibs chuckled “Josh is never close to coming out. It was a passing thought; I let it pass.”

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/playbyplay/_/gameId/401655110

 

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/josh-hart-killer-3-with-25-seconds-left-the-clincher-ny-118-philly-115/feed/ 0 Heartbreaker. Knicks Lose a Game they Had Won. Philly 112 NY 106 in OT https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/heartbreaker-knicks-lose-a-game-they-had-won-philly-112-ny-106-in-ot/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/heartbreaker-knicks-lose-a-game-they-had-won-philly-112-ny-106-in-ot/#respond Wed, 01 May 2024 13:21:11 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6149 The Knicks had a 6 point lead with 28 seconds left. They were this close to clinching the 1st round series over Philly. All NY had to do was not foul, and hit their free [...]

The post Heartbreaker. Knicks Lose a Game they Had Won. Philly 112 NY 106 in OT appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> The Knicks had a 6 point lead with 28 seconds left. They were this close to clinching the 1st round series over Philly.

All NY had to do was not foul, and hit their free throws that would come as Philly would be forced to foul.

But the Knicks fouled. And they didn’t hit their free throws.

Mitchell Robinson came over on a switch to defend Tyrese Maxey as Joel Embiid set a pick on Miles McBride — and Maxey hit a 3 and was fouled by Robinson for a 4-pt play.

Down by 2 points, Philly was forced to foul Josh Hart. All he had to do was hit both free throws and NY would have a 4-pt lead with 15 seconds left.

But he missed the 1st free throw; hit the 2nd.

Tyrese Maxey came down and hit a 3 from the logo — 35 feet out — for a tie game with 8 seconds left.

The game went into Overtime where the Knicks jumped out to a 5-pt lead, but Philly rolled off 9 in a row to take it — 112-106 at a STUNNED Madison Square Garden.

Brutal loss.

“Tough way to lose a ballgame,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “We had the lead. We got to play tougher with the lead. We fouled in a situation that we didn’t want to foul in. In the end, Maxey hits a big shot. We got to do better.”

NY’s lead in the 7-game set is reduced to 3-2. Next game in Philly Thursday night.

1. Philly Jumps Out to 9-Pt Lead

Philly, their backs to the wall in an elimination game for them, jumped out to a 10-2 lead on the scoring of Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. Maxey scored 9 points in the 1st quarter on drives, 3’s, and pullups.

Joel Embiid came out looking very tentative on his left knee, which he had surgery on in February to repair a torn meniscus. He was questionable before the game, but played. He did not seem to want to jump inside — and stayed mostly on the perimeter — but still hit a 14-foot pullup, and got free throws off a drive.

The Knicks missed their 3’s, and Philly jumped out to a 26-17 lead at the end of a quarter.

 

2. Knicks Take Command in 2nd — Outscoring Philly 32-17

The Knicks turned on the fire in the 2nd quarter — going on a 20-5 run to start the period.

Jalen Brunson started the run with a step-back jumper, then stole the ball from Paul Reed inside, leading to Donte DiVincenzo free throws off an ahead-of-the-field drive where Kelly Oubre Jr got dangerously under him.

Mitchell Robinson — looking healthy after the sprained ankle kept him out of game 4 — started to take advantage of the tentative Joel Embiid inside. Robinson BLOCKED Embiid’s 2o-footer at the 9 minute mark, and owned the boards inside.

The Knicks clamped down their defense, and Brunson continued to go to work offensively, helped by OG Anunoby Miles McBride — who hit a 3 to put NY up 31-28, and a J on the next possession to put NY up by 5, at 33-28.

A Mitchell Robinson SLAM off a Josh Hart assist put NY up 37-31 at a ROCKING Madison Square Garden.

The tv camera caught all the Knick greats sitting somewhere on the sidelines — Patrick Ewing with John Starks, Latrell Sprewell with Marcus Camby, Larry Johnson, Alan Houston, Bernard King — everyone was there, including Walt Frazier on the broadcast.

Isaiah Hartenstein came in for Robinson, and hit 2 free throws to put NY up 10 at 44-34. NY looked like it might pull away.

But Tyrese Maxey scored a flurry of drives sandwiching a Nicolas Batum 3 and Embiid jumper, and Philly pulled to within 49-43 at the half.

3. Philly Comes Back in 3rd, Takes Lead

Maxey again came out on fire to start the 3rd — making a drive and 2 straight jumpers to put Philly up.

Jalen Brunson answered.

Embiid looked rejuvenated — scoring on short jumpers.

The quarter ended on a flurry of back-and-forth 3’s:

  • Tobias Harris hit a 3 to give Philly the lead, 66-65, with 2:14 left in the quarter.
  • OG Anunoby answered with a 3 to give NY back the lead.
  • Cameron Payne answered with a 3 to put Philly back up a point.
  • Josh Hart answered with a 2-pt jumper to put NY back up 70-69 entering the 4th.

4. Knicks Take Command in 4th; Miss Key Free Throws

Maxey started the 4th with a jumper and Batum hit a 3 to put Philly up by 4 points. A Maxey jumper put Philly up 5 with 8:58 left.

But Miles McBride hit a huge 3 to slice the lead.

The Knicks tightened their Defense. Hart made a jumper and Anunoby made a drive and NY was back up.

A McBride drive put NY up 3 with 6:15 left.

5. Knicks on Verge of Win — Lose It

In a riveting ending:

  • Anunoby hit a J putting NY up 5, with 5:45 left.
  • Harris answered with a J.
  • Brunson hit a drive-and-1 putting NY up 6 at 85-79.
  • Maxey answered with a 3.
  • Brunson hit a drive.
  • Oubre dunked inside to pull Philly back within 3.
  • Embiid hit a 7-footer to make it a 1-pt Knick lead.
  • Brunson made free throws to put NY up 3 with 2 minutes left.
  • Mitchell Robinson knocked the ball away from Embiid, leading to an Anuoby ahead-of-the-field slam and NY was up 91-86 with 1:39 left as Madison Square Garden Erupted. It looked like Anunoby was fouled on the play but it wasn’t called.

  • Maxey raced down the other end and made a floater, and a foul was called — but Maxey missed the free throw.
  • Brunson hit a step-back to give NY a 93-88 lead with 1:12 left!
  • Anunoby came up with a HUGE steal on the right baseline and was fouled going to the basket on a breakaway. He hit 1 of 2 free throws and NY was up 94-88 with 54 seconds left.
  • Oubre hit a layup inside with 50 seconds left,
  • Miles McBride hit a HUGE jumper in the lane for a 96-90 Knick lead with 28 seconds left and seemingly the ballgame.

And then the horror happened. Mitchell Robinson fouled Maxey on a 3 for a 4-pt play. Hart missed a free throw. Maxey hit a 3 from the logo. Brunson’s final drive to win it was blocked by Batum out of bounds at the regulation buzzer.

“Just like you shouldn’t leave your feet when passing the ball don’t leave your feet trying to block a 3. Stay down,” advised NBA Analyst Ross Kreines.

6. Overtime

Brunson shook off the bad ending to regulation and hit a 3 and a drive to start Overtime and put NY up 5.

  • But Maxey hit a 3, Oubre made a dunk off a Maxey assist, Embiid made a jumper-and-1 and Philly pulled out to a 106-102 lead.
  • Brunson drove and was blasted in the head by Embiid — a flagrant on Embiid — Brunson hit 1 of 2 free throws and then hit a 3 to tie the game at 106 with 1:14 left!
  • But Oubre snuck underneath for a drive that rolled out and in as Walt Frazier shouted “get out of there” on the broadcast. Philly had a 108-106 lead.
  • Brunson missed a jumper but on the ensuing play, Hartenstein nearly stole the ball causing the ball to go off Embiid’s hands for a turnover.
  • NY had the ball down 2 with 18 seconds left — Brunson faked a 3 and instead passed the ball to Hartenstein on the right baseline — but Hartenstein wasn’t expecting it and the ball went out of bounds.

NY was forced to foul, and Philly hit their free throws.

7. Maxey and Brunson Spectacular

  • Maxey ended with 46 points on 17-30 shooting and 7-12 from 3, with 9 assists.
  • Brunson had 40 points on 15-32 shooting and 6-9 from 3, with 6 assists, and 3 steals.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401655109

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/heartbreaker-knicks-lose-a-game-they-had-won-philly-112-ny-106-in-ot/feed/ 0 Brunson’s 47 Points & Knick DEFENSE Stifle 76ers & Embiid. NY 97 Philadelphia 92 https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/brunsons-47-points-knick-defense-stifle-76ers-embiid-ny-97-philadelphia-92/ https://www.knicks.city/2023-24/brunsons-47-points-knick-defense-stifle-76ers-embiid-ny-97-philadelphia-92/#respond Mon, 29 Apr 2024 13:17:28 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=6134 Jalen Brunson scored in every conceivable way for 47 clutch points, and the Knicks laid down a TOUGH DEFENSE in the 4th quarter, with OG Anunoby and double teams limiting Joel Embiid to 1 point [...]

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]]> Jalen Brunson scored in every conceivable way for 47 clutch points, and the Knicks laid down a TOUGH DEFENSE in the 4th quarter, with OG Anunoby and double teams limiting Joel Embiid to 1 point — giving NY a frenetic 97-92 win and a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 playoff series.

On a Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, the Wells Fargo Center taken over by loud Knick fans.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said after the previous game, when Embiid killed the Knicks in the 3rd quarter, that they needed to “fix it” — and he did. And that included in-game adjustments, after Isaiah Hartenstein — who had 0 fouls in the 1st half — picked up 5 fouls in the 3rd quarter. Precious Achiuwa came off the Knick bench to play spectacular defensive ball in the 4th, blocking 4 shots and grabbing 7 important rebounds, and Anunoby did a heroic job guarding Embiid, with a double team of Miles McBride coming over when Embiid put the ball on the floor.

Josh Hart also played a tremendous defensive game, with a key blocked shot in the 4th, and 17 rebounds.

“A lot of fight. We got down early; just kept battling,” said Thibodeau afterwards. “A number of guys just stepped up like they’ve done all year. The defense was really good; the rebounding was really good. A lot of hustle in the game. Josh was unbelievable. OG gave us great minutes. You can’t say enough about what Jalen did. And then Precious came in and gave us great minutes as did Deuce. And Donte had a good stretch. We need everyone just hustling like crazy. And if we do that good things will come.”

“They’re a very dynamic team,” added Thibs. “They put a lot of pressure on you. They have a number of guys who can go off the dribble. And when you factor in what Maxey does and what Embiid does, that’s a lot of firepower. You got to be tied together with your whole team, because once you send the 2nd guy you also have to make the rotation and you have to finish; you have to challenge the shot. And then they’re very athletic going after the ball too. So the challenge we know is that we have to play for 48 minutes against them.”

1. Philly Jumps Out to 12-Point Lead

Mitchell Robinson was on the court an hour before game time to try out his ankle — which sent good vibes throughout Knick Twitter, but 30 minutes before game time it was announced he would not be playing.

And it wasn’t looking good for NY early, as they kept missing 3’s in the 1st quarter while Philly was hitting their shot and jumped out to a 12-point lead.

Tobias Harris was scoring inside and outside, Kelly Oubre Jr. hit a 3, Tyrese Maxey hit a 3, and Joel Embiid was hitting jumpers. A Tobias Harris alley-oop layup on a pass from Embiid put Philly up 27-15 with a minute left in the 1st quarter, before a Jalen Brunson score inside pulled NY back to 10 down entering the 2nd.

2. Bogey Injured Early in 2nd Quarter

More bad news for the Knicks — Bojan Bogdanovic entered the game to start the 2nd quarter, but immediately had the ball knocked away from him by Nicolas Batum, and in the scramble for the loose ball, Batum fell on Bogdanovic’s ankle, badly spraining it. Bogey and his sharp shooting was gone before it even began.

3. Knicks Pull Back to Within 2 at the Half

But the Knicks adjusted again. Unable to hit the 3, the Knicks went inside to Isaiah Hartenstein, who scored floaters inside off Jalen Brunson assists on consecutive possessions to pull NY within 6.

OG Anunoby joined in — making a strong drive to the bucket, and then Brunson made a spectacular drive and floater off a hesitation shimmy move and NY was back within 4.

“Jalen Brunson staying in attack mode, dictates where he wants to get which is in the lane and then hits his floater,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Put your defender at your mercy and keep them on their heels.”

OG made another strong move to the bucket and NY was within 29-27.

A Brunson drive tied the score.

Philly struck back — Tyrese Maxey hit a couple of 3’s, and Embiid got to the line and Philly was back up 5 — but Miles McBride hit consecutive 3’s to put NY up a point at 46-45.

Tyrese Maxey countered and pain-in-the-ass Kyle Lowry hit a 3 to put Philly up 4, but Brunson finished the half with a drive and it was a 2-pt game — Philly up 49-47.

4. Philly Goes Up by 10 Early in 3rd But NY Battles Back

Hartenstein and Anunoby scored for the Knicks early in the 4th, but Tyrese Maxey led a 10-0 Philly run that put them up 61-51 — an Embiid score, a Maxey drive-and-1, an Oubre 3, and another Maxey drive.

Jalen Brunson fought back — scoring on floaters and drives — and then Donte DiVincenzo hit Huge back-to-back 3’s late in the quarter — the first pulling NY from 7 down to 70-66, and the second pulling NY to within 70-69.

  • Embiid hit a 3.
  • Brunson countered with a 3. Philly 73 NY 72 with 1:32 left in the 3rd.

It was a playoff basketball barnburner on a Sunday afternoon.

Embiid Draws 5th Foul on Hartenstein; Precious Enters

Embiid kept drawing fouls on Isaiah Hartenstein — getting the ball and making quick moves to the hoop to draw the foul. Hartenstein drew his 5th foul — all in the 3rd quarter! — and was replaced by Precious Achiuwa with 1:25 left in the 3rd.

  • Embiid made a free throw but DiVincenzo countered with a drive and it was a tie game, 74 all.

The Knicks put OG Anunoby on Embiid, and Precious guarded OG’s man. Embiid immediately drew a foul on OG and made more free throws.

  • But Brunson countered with a floater-and-1 and NY had a 77-76 lead entering the 4th.

5. Frenetic 4th with Precious, OG, McBride, Hart & Brunson

Cameron Payne hit 2 buckets early in the 4th to put Philly up, but McBride countered with a 3 off a Precious Achiuwa offensive rebound, and OG made a drive and NY was back up.

Josh Hart then blocked a dunk by Nicholas Batum inside — as John Starks cheered him on from courtside seats.

This was a war.

Brunson hit a drive, then OG dunked off ANOTHER Precious Achiuwa offensive rebound and NY was up 86-81 with 8 minutes left.

The Knicks tried to put it away but missed shots — and Maxey, Oubre, and Maxey again hit drives to pull Philly back within 88-87 with 6 minutes left.

  • Brunson countered with a drive; Oubre countered with a dunk — NY 90-89 with 4:30 left.
  • Brunson lost the ball, but Precious Achiuwa BLOCKED Oubre’s inside shot that would have given Philly the lead!
  • Hart missed a drive but grabbed the offensive rebound — and hit McBride at top of the key who was fouled taking a 3; he missed the first free throw but hit the next 2 and NY was up 92-89 with 3:47 left.

OG and Knicks Stifle Embiid

NY stifled Embiid all 4th quarter, with OG defending him away from the basket, and NY sending double teams when Embiid put the ball on the floor.

  • With NY up 3 and 3:40 left, OG with McBride coming over, stifled Embiid, who missed badly on a 2-pt jumper.

“OG Anunoby plays with a purpose on both ends, needs no plays called for him and he takes pride in his defense and getting stops,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Also, was aggressive on the offensive end and the glass while taking no play for granted. OG knows his role and needs no plays called for him to be engaged.”

Knicks Owned the Inside

  • Next play down, Precious Achiuwa BLOCKED Embiid’s 3-pt attempt forcing a 24-second violation as he swatted the ball out of bounds!
  • With 2:43 left, Brunson missed a 3, but Hart got the offensive rebound — Hart missed a 3, but OG got the offensive rebound — Brunson missed a 20 footer, but Precious got the offensive rebound — McBride missed a corner 3 and Philly finally got the ball with 2:15 left.

NY’s defense was intense — Philly was discombobulated on offense — they could only pass the ball around the perimeter and hoist up a bad shot — Maxey missed a 20-footer and it was NY’s ball with 1:50 left.

  • Brunson drove and was fouled — hit a free throw for a 4-pt Knick lead — as 45 percent of the Wells Fargo arena was chanting “MVP, MVP, MVP”.
  • Oubre missed a 3, Lowry got the long offensive rebound, and passed to Harris who missed a 3.

Then Brunson operated into the lane and surprised Philly by taking it right to the rack for a 95-89 lead with 55 seconds left as Knick fandom exploded watching on TV’s and streams throughout the Northeast. Not to mention 45 percent of Wells Fargo Arena.

  • Embiid drew a foul on OG, but missed the first free throw. Embiid seemed exhausted — coach Nick Nurse had kept him in the entirety of the 3rd and 4th quarter.
  • With 27 seconds left and NY up 95-90, Hart lost the ball, but Brunson blocked Maxey’s drive — the ball going out of bounds, Philly ball. It looked like the ball went off Maxey and the Knicks challenged the play but the refs ruled Philly ball.
  • But as Philly was inbounding, Kyle Lowry set a moving pick on Anunoby — causing Anunoby to run into him — incredibly Anunoby was charged for an off-the-play foul on an inbounds which gave Philly a free throw and the ball back. Maxey hit the free throw to make it a 95-91 game.

But Knicks had Karma and Precious Achiuwa.

  • Embiid got the ball on the left baseline, faked a shot then drove underneath, but instead of dunking tried to lay it up and Precious BLOCKED it. Hart got the rebound and was fouled and that seemed like ballgame.
  • But Hart missed both free throws! Kyle Lowry came down and badly missed on a 3 with 9 seconds left — but got his own rebound and was fouled.

Lowry hit the 1st free throw to make it a 95-92 game with 7 seconds left — and purposely missed the 2nd free throw. Tyrese Maxey didn’t know Lowry’s plan was to purposely miss and was out of position as Brunson grabbed the rebound that bounced out past the free throw line. And THAT was ballgame, as Brunson was fouled on purpose and hit his free throws.

6. Knick Fans Take Over Philly

The story after the game was how Knick fans invaded and owned Wells Fargo Arena.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401655108

 

The post Brunson’s 47 Points & Knick DEFENSE Stifle 76ers & Embiid. NY 97 Philadelphia 92 appeared first on Knicks.City.

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