• 47-35 regular season
• Beat Cleveland 3 games to 1 in the 1st round — putting to rest the notion they should have traded for Donovan Mitchell.
• Lost to Miami in hard-fought 6 games, 5 of them razor close. A few jumpshots and the Knicks would have gone to the next round.
• Became a contender for an NBA title — had they beaten Miami it says here they would have gone to the NBA finals — as they had solved Boston during the season, beating them 3 out of 4 times. The Knicks had the better coach which plays huge in a short series, as we saw with Spoelstra and Miami.

So it was a Great year for the Knicks.

It was a Great year for coach Tom Thibodeau.

It was a Great year for Knicks management who put this team together.

And it was a terrible year for some Knicks fans and content creators, and the media — who had smashed and thrashed this franchise and all of their decisions made, in the years prior, the summer before, and up through the first 30 games of the year.

There were some famed fan content providers, and media, that were suggesting the Knicks should blow up the team and trade assets after the first 20 games of the year — with 60 games to play.

Hopefully they learned something — that the goal of an NBA team with a good coach is to play its best ball the last 30 games of the year into the playoffs.

Key take away’s from the year:

1. Knicks Were One of Top 6 Teams

At the end of the season, the Knicks were one of the last 6 teams playing basketball. They played Miami as tough as any team did — tougher than Milwaukee did and just as tough as Boston did.

2. Thibs Has Given Knicks Identity: DEFENSE & REBOUNDING

Coach Tom Thibodeau has made the Knicks one of the top defensive teams in the league — maybe the #2 best defensive team in the league behind Miami. And the Knicks played their best basketball in the playoffs, which Thibs said all year, was the goal.

3. Brunson a STAR

Jalen Brunson didn’t make the All Star team — but he played all season and in the playoffs as one of the elite players in the game. He scored at will inside, with his hesitation dribbles, fakes, and floaters — and led the Knicks with a true-grit, win-at-all-times attitude.

4. Randle All NBA Team

Julius Randle had a comeback season, and made All NBA 3rd team. He averaged 25.1 ppg with 10.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and .343 from 3. His attitude was great. He led the team.

A bad injury to his left ankle late in the regular season, when he stepped on Bam Adabeyo’s foot, caused Randle to miss the final 5 games of the regular season and reduced his effectiveness in the playoffs — but he played through it and contributed to the 1st-round defeat of Cleveland. He re-injured the ankle in game 4 against Cleveland which further limited him against Miami, but he played through and still contributed mightily. After the season, in June, Randle had arthroscopic surgery on the left ankle.

WHAT A BLOCK pic.twitter.com/3cle8o1Zot

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 13, 2023

5. Barrett a Rising Star — Great vs Miami in Playoffs

RJ Barrett had a good season. He was having a great season until he lacerated and dislocated his right index finger on December 27th (the bone cut thru the skin) on a Luka Doncic reach-in, then it took a while for Barrett’s shooting to come back when he returned 2 weeks later. By the playoffs, Barrett was in top form — and especially against Miami, raised his game to another level.

Against Miami his decision-making on drives reached another level, and he was hitting his 3 and inside 2’s. His Defense was excellent all year, Tom Thibodeau constantly pointed out.

6. Robinson a Defensive Intimidator

Mitchell Robinson DOMINATED in the playoffs against Cleveland — absolutely annihilating the Cleveland front-line of Jarret Allen and Evan Mobley. Robinson also dominated against Miami — he raised his game to new levels as an inside force on the offensive glass and on defense. He improved his defensive rebounding, something he said Thibs keeps getting on him about.

Robinson averaged 7.4 ppg and 9.4 rpg in 27 minutes a game.

Robinson injured his thumb in mid January and had to have surgery. He played in 59 games and the 20 missed games may have contributed to him not being voted to the All NBA Defensive 1st or 2nd team after the season — Brooke Lopez was the 1st team center (with Evan Mobley the power forward) and Bam Adebayo was the 2nd team center.

But Robinson has become everything the Knicks hoped he’d become as an elite defensive, shot-blocking, and rebounding big man — and an offensive weapon with the offensive rebounds.

7. Hartenstein a Great Pickup

Isaiah Hartenstein was the surprise of the year for the Knicks — a Heady big man who rebounds, passes to find the open man, and can take it to the hole. He came up clutch time after time on both ends of the court, in the regular season and the playoffs. He bonded with Mitchell Robinson and the rest of the team. He was a big reason for the Knicks’ success.

8. Quickley a Top 6th Man

Immanuel Quickley raised his game to new levels — becoming a defensive demon and an orchestrating and scoring combo guard, coming off the bench to ignite rallies. He dueled all season long with Malcolm Brogdon of Boston for the 6th Man of the Year Award — Brogdon won it and then got traded.

Quick is back with the Knicks looking for a $ contract extension.

9. Front Office Making Great Moves

The Knick front office has been SMASHED for years with every move they make ridiculed.

NY had one of the best ‘money ball’ free agencies ever in the summer of 2019, signing Julius Randle (and Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis, Reggie Bullock, Taj Gibson, Elfrid Payton, and Wayne Ellington) — which gave the team good players at great value, keeping them under the cap with maneuverability for years to come. Scott Perry was the main man responsible for that along with Steve Mills and they were CASTIGATED by the media. The Knicks were right; the Knicks did well; and the Knicks today are still reaping the benefits of that summer and all moves made afterwards.

Perry left the Knicks after the 2023 season. It is unclear how much influence Perry had under Leon Rose, but one hopes the Knicks talent evaluation and smart-cap signings continue going forward.

10. Did NOT Need DMitchell

The 2022-23 season showed the Knicks did NOT need Donovan Mitchell — as NY and RJ Barrett beat his Cleveland team 3 games to 1 in the playoffs. Would Mitchell had made the Knicks better against Miami? RJ Barrett played well against Miami and you also give up defense with Mitchell.

11. The Next Steps Are Key

The 2022-23 season was a great year; the Knicks are on the rise. The team is young and getting better as they play together more. The next steps are key; can this team win it all with the current cast or do they need to make a move for another star?

RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson still have levels to move up to, as do Quentin Grimes and Emmanuel Quickley — and that could be all they need.

The post 2022-23: Great Year for the Knicks. Bad Year for Some Fans & Media appeared first on Knicks.City.

Again.

NY was forced to foul and that was essentially the ballgame.

A DOGFIGHT of a game that went back and forth all night — the Knicks commanding early — up by 14 at one point in the 2nd half; but Miami coming back.

TOUGH DEFENSE for both sides; forcing both teams to turn in poor shooting numbers.

Brunson Herculian

Except Jalen Brunson — who was lights out and a man possessed — 41 points on 14-22 shooting (5-10 from 3) — penetrating and scoring and scoring each time down no matter what the vaunted Miami defense did.

Lowry the Difference Maker

But Kyle Lowry was the difference maker. His quick hands and defense taking away the dribble drive from Randle, and making key offensive and defensive plays all night.

“Kyle Lowry is such a crafty and winning player who continues making winning plays along with being an extension of a coach on the floor,” said NBA analyst Ross Kreines on Twitter. “Give credit to Erik Spoelstra who flat-out coaches, utilizes his players’ strengths, great adjustments and always gives the Heat a chance to win.”

Thibs

“Congratulations to the Heat, to the organization, coaching staff, Spo and Pat Riley and all their players,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “They played tough in this series; hats off to them. But proud of our guys. Proud of the way this team worked all year. They improved daily. We got valuable experience in the playoffs. We learned a lot. And we need to use what we learned to move forward.”

“We were one of the final 8 teams,” furthered Thibs when asked. “And that’s not the goal — there’s a lot of work to be done and we know that. But at the end, there’ll be one team standing; there’ll be 29 others that have fallen short. We fell short. There’s disappointment but we have to look at it as, we learned a lot let’s use this as motivation to move forward and get better, and that’s what you have to do.”

Spoelstra

“They’re aggressive, they’re crafty, and they’re relentless,” said coach Spoelstra early in the 4th about the Knicks. “They keep going and so it has to be a team effort to stop them.”

1. Knicks Commanded Early

The Knicks took command early, jumping out to a 31-17 lead. It looked like NY knew it was the better team, and wasn’t afraid or trepidatious of Miami anymore — as it had looked in game 1.

Jalen Brunson was scoring, and RJ Barrett was attacking and getting to the line — where he made ALL 8 of his free throws: 8-8.

Randle made a spectacular block on a fast-break layup and the Knicks had momentum.

WHAT A BLOCK pic.twitter.com/3cle8o1Zot

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 13, 2023

Randle hit a tough J on the other end and NY was up 31-17.

3⃣0⃣ getting it done on both ends! pic.twitter.com/M5e5u31gYu

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 13, 2023

But Miami crawled back in it: Kyle Lowry made free throws; Kyle Lowry hit a 3; Jimmy Butler made a bucket to slice the NY lead to 7 — 31-24 — at the end of the 1st quarter.

2. Miami Up by 1 at the Half

Bam Adebayo went nuts in the 2nd quarter to pull Miami even and then give them the lead. He was getting buckets inside or hitting 18 footers.

Toppin Energy and 3’s

Obi Toppin came in for the Knicks to give them a lift — grabbing a big rebound and hitting back-to-back 3’s.

Duncan Robinson hit a 3; Max Struss did made a bucket and free throws; Caleb Martin hit a drive-and-one — but there were lots of misses too. Brunson did the majority of scoring for the Knicks, helped by Barrett, Josh Hart and Toppin.

Keep going JB pic.twitter.com/n6VW7rjLga

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 13, 2023

Barrett Picks up 3rd Foul on Questionable Call

Barrett picked up his 3rd foul with 4:29 left on a barely-touched-him call and went to the bench. That hurt the Knicks and killed his rhythm.

Brunson also picked up his 3rd foul on a very questionable call and he went to the bench with a few minutes left in the half.

Struss hit 2 free throws at the end of the quarter to put Miami up by 1 at the half.

3. Miami Up 3 After 3

The 3rd quarter was more dogfight. Julius Randle was aggressive — and kept getting fouls going to the bucket and hitting his free throws.

• Randle hit a 3 to tie the game 56-56.

Trey from the corner pic.twitter.com/28sxpGfmos

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 13, 2023

• But Kevin Love hit a 3 down the other end, and then Jimmy Butler hit a jumper and Miami was up 5.
• Butler hit free throws to put Miami up 7, but Josh Hart hit a 3 and Brunson a drive and it was a 2-pt game.

JB is so crafty!! pic.twitter.com/N7vK1pl93Z

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 13, 2023

Back and Forth

• Butler hit free throws; Randle countered with a drive and free throws.
• Butler hit a drive; Josh Hart countered with a deuce.
• Lowry hit a drive; Brunson countered with a drive.
• Lowry hit another drive; Brunson countered with another drive.

Hart & Grimes Collide — Duncan Gets Another Try on 3

On a key play with 46 seconds left in the quarter — Duncan Robinson missed a 3 — and Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes were both on the rebound — but Collided! — and Lowry got the ball — fed Robinson again and this time he hit the 3!

“That one hurt my soul,” said @Alminn_V on Twitter.

Isaiah Hartenstein countered with a tip in — Miami 74 NY 71 after 3.

Back and forth.

4. Dogfight in 4th

The dogfight continued in the 4th.

• Hartenstein continued a great stretch of play — blocking a Bam Adebayo layup from behind at start of the 4th.

Get that OUTTA HERE pic.twitter.com/025kMf0aya

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 13, 2023

• Brunson free throws pulled NY to within a point, but a Caleb Martin 3 was a killer — Miami up 4.
• Brunson free throws pulled NY back to within 2, and then there was a frenetic stretch where both teams went coast-to-coast on the other but couldn’t score against a manic defense — denying break-away shots at the rim.

A Chance to Tie

• Finally Obi Toppin was fouled and went to the line with a chance to tie it, but missed the 2nd free throw. Miami 77 NY 76 with 8 minutes left.

Miami Mini Run

• But Adebayo hit a 17-footer, Toppin missed a 3, and Struss hit a 3, and Miami was up 6.
• Randle missed a 3 from the corner, and Butler hit a deuce and one and Miami had their biggest lead — up 9 with 6:25 left. Miami 85 NY 76.
• NY and Brunson weren’t about to quit.

Brunson, Barrett, Randle Pull Knicks back

• Brunson hit a pullup, and Barrett and then Randle both went to the hole for fouls and free throws; Barrett went 1-2; Randle 2-2 — and NY was back — down 85-81 with 4 minutes left.
• But Kyle Lowry made a layup inside. Brunson countered with a 3.

Clutch buckets from JB pic.twitter.com/tN3dYZuo3l

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 13, 2023

• Butler hit a deuce. Hart missed a 3 from the corner; Brunson missed a 3.

Mitch Hits CLUTCH Free Throws

• Mitchell Robinson went to the line and hit both of 2 huge free throws to pull NY to within 90-86 with 1:24 left.
• But Adebayo broke free for a dunk and when Julius Randle was called for an offensive foul on the other end, the Knicks looked cooked — down 92-86 with 59 seconds left and Miami ball.

Flagrant Foul on Miami Gives NY Life — Huge Turnaround

• But on the inbounds — Struss hit Brunson across the face with an elbow — it was deemed a flagrant 1 — and Brunson hit 2 free throws and it was NY’s ball. A key turnaround.
• Hart made a layup and it was a 92-90 game. Butler missed a J and NY had the ball with 30 seconds left and chance to tie.

The Chance to Tie with 16 Seconds Left

• And that’s when Brunson drove right baseline against the double team and tried to pass to Randle but Lowry intercepted — with 16 seconds left.

After that NY was forced to foul — and Butler and then Struss hit their free throws.

5. Brunson Heroic

Brunson was heroic and Herculian. He took the Knicks on his back — scoring and scoring and scoring at will against the tough Miami defense.

“How’s that dude not an All-Star or All-NBA?” said Spoelstra afterwards about Brunson. “He should be on one of those teams; I wish he was still out West. He’s just an incredible competitor. We came in with some different ideas, to try and get the ball out of his hands — and he went to a different thing — 5 of 10 from 3. And that’s what great players do — they figure different things out.”

6. Randle, Barrett, & QGrimes Miss Shots

Randle, Barrett, and Quentin Grimes shot a combined 2-16 from 3. Randle was 1-7, Grimes 1-6, and Barrett 0-3.

Grimes defended Jimmy Butler well — Grimes only had 3 points in 32 minutes, but a +3.

Randle took the brunt of the hate on Knicks Twitter afterwards. He had just been named 3rd Team All NBA All Star before the game — but was only 3-14 from the floor (1-7 from 3; 8-9 in free throws) for 15 pts, 11 rebounds, 3 assists. He turned the ball over 3 times but was a +3. He could have shot better, but is not deserving of the hate by some Knick fans. Miami plays a TOUGH defense and they (and Lowry) keyed on Randle throughout the series.

Barrett was rolling until the early 3rd foul in the 2nd quarter sent him to the bench. He finished with 11 points on 1-10 shooting (8-9 in free throws). He was not happy with the way he played.

“I was very disappointed in how I played today,” said RJ afterwards. “I don’t know. It’s a lot right now. You fight for something you want so bad — and today I personally don’t think I played my best. It hurts but it’s good to have experiences like these to learn from them. They’re a very good team; very poised; and we can learn from it.”

7. Both Teams Poor from 3

While the Knicks were 10-35 from 3, Miami was worse — they were 7-27 from 3. It seemed that Max Struss, Gabe Vincent, and Duncan Robinson killed NY from 3 but it really wasn’t the case: Struss was 1-6 from 3, Vincent 1-5, and Robinson 2-7. Butler was 0-3 from 3.

A lot of that is due to the frenetic defense played by both teams — they both guard the 3 — getting out and then getting in.

The exception was Brunson who was 5-10 from 3. Lowry was 1-2 from 3, and Kevin Love 1-1.

8. Knicks Made their Free Throws; Rebounds Even

The Knicks made their free throws: 28-32 which is an impressive 87.5 % clip. Miami was 23-25, 92%.

The Knicks grabbed 41 rebounds; Miami had 40.

This was as close a game as you could have — a dogfight between two of the best defensive teams in the NBA coached by two of the best coaches.

If NY hits a couple of extra jumpers it’s a different story. NY could have used Immanuel Quickley as well.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401544978

The post Knicks Lose Dogfight in Final Seconds. Eliminated. Miami 96 NY 92 appeared first on Knicks.City.

Robinson’s HUGE Free Throws Ruin Hack-a-Shaq Strategy

But Miami hit their 3’s and battled back — pulling to within 6 with 5 minutes left when they started Hack-a-Shaq-ing Mitchell Robinson on consecutive possessions to get closer. In a late turning point to the game, Mitchell Robinson stepped up and hit 3 of 4 free throws to keep Miami at bay.

Still Miami pulled closer — within 2 — after yet another Duncan Robinson 3 and consecutive pullup drives by Jimmy Butler.

Barrett CLUTCH; Hartenstein BIG

In a frenetic finish — RJ Barrett came up Big as he’d done all evening, attacking the Miami defense with assuredness for yet another drive with 2 minutes left — this one missed but setting up an Isaiah Hartenstein offensive rebound and HUGE slam for a 4-pt Knick lead. RJ then went 4-4 from the free throw line in the final minute as Miami was forced to foul — CLUTCH free throw shooting.

Grimes with Defensive Play of Game

Quentin Grimes came up with the Defensive play of the game with 1:42 left and NY leading 107-101 — getting hit with an uncalled illegal screen by Bam Adebayo, and injuring his leg — but getting back on the play and STILL stealing the ball from Jimmy Butler to give NY possession, resulting in Barrett free throws.

Mitchell Robinson — back in the game as hack-a-Shaq is illegal in the final 2 minutes of a game — ripped down a rebound of a Kyle Lowry miss, and hit 1 of 2 free throws with 21 seconds left — Julius Randle grabbing the miss and putting it home for the coup de grace.

A heart-stopping, gut-wrenching win. At a rocking, frenetic Madison Square Garden on a Wednesday night — with former players like John Starks seen on the sidelines shouting out instructions to RJ Barrett to “Attack! Attack the drive”.

“The Heat lost to Mitchell Robinson free throws,” summed up @TheyCallMeTak on Twitter.

“There’s nothing really to celebrate,” said Jalen Brunson afterwards. “We obviously won and we get to see another day. This was great but we have to get one down there.”

Game 6 Friday night in Miami. The Knicks have circled the wagons.

1. Miami Feeds off Ref Calls — Take 10-Point Early Lead

The Knicks came out with aggression, but Miami matched it.

The Knicks were maybe too aggressive — and were getting hit with calls. Josh Hart picked up 3 fouls in the first 10 minutes and had to sit down. Knick fans on Twitter were howling. Miami was playing their game — as some Knicks talked about after the prior game — physicality with some veteran flopping to get calls.

Hart’s Questionable Flagrant

On one play, Josh Hart seemed to go straight up to defend a Jimmy Butler 3, Butler kicked his leg out and came down on Hart’s foot — after a review the refs called it not only a foul on Hart but a flagrant foul. “Wow. Wow,” said the TNT announcer, seemingly flabbergasted.

“Another Flop by the Flop specialist,” observed Oyoma McCarley on Twitter — summing up the Tweets of many Knick fans.

The calls gave Miami momentum, and they played free and easy, up 3-1 in the series. They hit their jumpers — Max Strus hit a jumper and a 3, Gabe Vincent hit a 3, Jimmy Butler was penetrating, drawing the D and feeding Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin for buckets inside and NY was down 10 — 24-14 at the end of the 1st quarter.

It was the worst of times.

It looked like nothing the Knicks did would work. Only 14 points in the quarter?

2. Knicks 2nd-Team Counter Punches

And then Obi Toppin came in to start the 2nd. And Quentin Grimes FINALLY hit a 3 for the Knicks, from the corner. And then Brunson grabbed a rebound and fed Obi for a DUNK. And then RJ Barrett knocked down a 3, and Brunson hit a floater, and Barrett hit a drive and it was tie game, 26-26.

INSTANT ENERGY from @obitoppin1 pic.twitter.com/kuEPDAc06H

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 11, 2023

And then Brunson hit a floater and Barrett hit Another 3 and NY was up 6.

“Much better job by the Knicks in the 2nd quarter,” said NBA analyst Ross Kreines on Twitter. “When playing the Heat you better find a body when a shot goes up, limit turnovers, close out, keep them off the line, force tempo, play with ball movement and movement off ball rather than sticky ball, and play through every possession.”

Miami came back — NY missed some jumpers and Bam Adebayo got a few buckets inside; RJ Barrett answered with a drive and it was a dogfight to the end of the half.

Julius Randle came up BIG at the end of the half — with NY down 1, he grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled, making 1 of 2 free throws, then grabbed a rebound off a Kyle Lowry 3-pt miss, came up court and hit a 3 near the buzzer to end the half, NY up 50-47. A confidence boost for the Knicks.

Clock winding down. RANDLE. GOT IT. pic.twitter.com/vb1QUe04n6

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 11, 2023

3. NY Takes 19-Point Lead in 3rd

And then the Knicks came out with confidence to start the 3rd. Barrett hit a 3; Brunson hit a 3. Brunson hit another 3. Randle hit a 3. Barrett kept driving to the rim for buckets or fouls.

THAT'S TUFF @jalenbrunson1

.@RjBarrett6 with the REJECTION pic.twitter.com/G4HR23Sqzr

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 11, 2023

Miami kept missing their 3’s — Kevin Love would go 0-7 in the game — and NY built a 19-pt lead, 73-54 with 5 minutes left in the quarter.

But then Miami finally started hitting their 3’s — Max Strus, Duncan Robinson, and Celeb Martin would go 10-21 from 3 — and that is what got Miami back in the game.

By the end of the 3rd quarter, it was 84-74 NY — Miami was back in it.

4. Frenetic 4th Quarter

Kyle Lowry started off the 4th with a jumper and 1 — Josh Hart — just back in the game — was ruled for a foul from behind. Another iffy call but now Hart had 4 fouls.

The Knicks pushed back with scoring by Brunson and Hartenstein, but Duncan Robinson hit a 3, and Kyle Lowry hit two 3’s and Miami was within 4 — 92-88 with 8 minutes left.

It was absolutely defeating — all looked lost again. The big lead was gone.

Brunson’s & Barrett Battle Back

But Jalen Brunson hit a HUGE 3 while the TNT announcers were talking about something else — almost surprising them. Duncan Robinson countered with a 3 — again a 4-pt game.

Then RJ Barrett stepped up again — yet another assured, power drive to the bucket — feeding Mitchell Robinson for a SLAM — NY up 97-91 with 5:54 left.

Duncan Robinson missed a 3, and Caleb Martin was denied on a drive after an offensive rebound — NY had the ball and Miami went to the Hack-a-Shaq on Mitchell Robinson — leading to the finish described above.

5. Barrett MONSTER Game

RJ Barrett had a MONSTER game. All night long, he attacked the Miami defense with efficient drives to he basket, scoring or feeding Mitch Robinson for Alley Oops. He put pressure on the D, hit huge 3’s and 2-pointers, and hit ALL of his CLUTCH free throws. He was very sure with the ball.

“We’re fighting for our lives right now,” said RJ Barrett afterwards. “This is something that can be done. It’s been done before 13 times.”

Barrett finished with 26 pts on 8-17 shooting (3-8 from 3, 7-8 in free throws), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, a block (of a Jimmy Butler drive) and a game-high +17.

ISAIAH THROWS IT DOWN. pic.twitter.com/VraKNa9T72

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 11, 2023

6. Brunson MONSTER Game

And it goes without saying that Brunson had a MONSTER game as well: 38 points on 12-22 shooting (4-10 from 3, 10-12 in free throws), 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and only 1 turnover in 48 minutes.

JB got the moooves pic.twitter.com/0EtVYpXfJ7

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 11, 2023

7. Grimes Tremendous

Grimes was tremendous — with tough Defense on Jimmy Butler all night — 8 pts on 3-8 shooting (2-6 from 3) — and making the defensive play of the game as mentioned at the top and shown below.

I’ve never seen a guy get hurt, get up and then rip the ball handler like Grimes just did. He’s on my favorite player list for a reason pic.twitter.com/wzhoN0EbqY

— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) May 11, 2023

Another view:

HUSTLE ON https://t.co/u7LSlhocmE pic.twitter.com/SUDJ5x9m69

— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2023

8. Brunson & Grimes Play All 48 Minutes

Quentin Grimes and Brunson played all 48 minutes. It was 50 years to the day when Walt Frazier — who was sitting courtside — played 48 minutes in a Game 5.

"Having to play 48 minutes…to play with no rest…not letting things bother you…and always keep your cool"

—  Bill Russell to Clyde Frazier after the Knicks won Game 5 50 years ago today

Jalen Brunson on track to play 48 minutes in a Game 5 tonight pic.twitter.com/Iqml5rrqRG

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 11, 2023

9. Randle Terrific

Julius Randle was simply terrific — again. He played efficiently and trusted the pass: 24 pts on 7-13 shooting (4-7 from 3; 6-10 in free throws), 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

10. NY Out-Rebounds Miami

Mitchell Robinson was a terror inside — ripping down rebounds and defending the interior. He had 8 points and 11 rebounds with 2 steals in 26 minutes. Isaiah Hartenstein played Big as well — 4 pts and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes. Obi Toppin also ripped down big rebounds during the Knicks’ 2nd quarter run — he had 6 rebounds and a +9 in 12 minutes.

NY outrebounded Miami 50-34.

Etcetera

When asked about Miami’s Hack-a-Mitch strategy at the end, and what he was thinking at the time, Mitchell Robinson said, “I’m knocking these down.”

"I'm knocking these down."

Mitchell Robinson reacts to the Miami Heat's failed Hack-a-Mitch strategy.

We love you @23savage____ pic.twitter.com/2gQLHDDkno

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) May 11, 2023

John Starks could be seen on the sidelines in the 4th quarter imploring Barrett to “attack. Attack the drive.”

Alright but what did John Starks have to tell RJ down the stretch pic.twitter.com/huQOvjmsAp

— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) May 11, 2023

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401544977

The post Brunson, Barrett, & Mitchell Robinson Free Throws. NY 112 Miami 103 appeared first on Knicks.City.

Miami shot well from outside, did the little things like just getting to many loose-ball secondary rebounds, and the NBA refs gave them the final push — with some really questionable calls — especially two on Julius Randle late in the game — to enable Miami to gain the 109 to 101 win.

“As far as officiating, that was one of the toughest games I’ve been a part of,” said Julius Randle afterwards. “Usually the physicality in the playoffs is up. I had 6 fouls and maybe 4 of them were offensive fouls, maybe 5 — that’s never happened to me in my career. That’s tough.”

But it wasn’t just the refs. Miami also grabbed key secondary rebounds, and hit key shots from outside throughout the evening. Max Strus especially, killed NY by going 4-10 from 3. Kevin Love hit 2 key 3’s. And Kyle Lowry had another heady game with 15 key buckets.

“They got offensive rebounds; loose balls,” said RJ Barrett afterwards. “They got some tough guys that get respect. Give them credit they work it hard. You got guys falling every possession getting calls; they’re getting rebounds. They’re playing hard; we played hard as well. I think in the 4th those rebounds hurt us.”

NY is now down 3 games to 1 with game 5 in NY.

1. Key Ref Calls Kill Knicks

With 5:28 left, Julius Randle grabbed an offensive rebound and cleanly scored inside and one — a 3-pt play — but the foul was called on him — offensive — and Kyle Lowry shot free throws the other end. He made 1 but that 4-pt turnaround was huge.

At 3:08 left with the Knicks down 7, Randle powered home for a clean bucket inside — but again was incredulously called for an offensive foul. Considering the physicality of the game, it was a hard call to fathom and had Knicks twitter howling.

The offensive fouls on Randle were killer, but there others — earlier in the 3rd, Jalen Brunson drew a foul on Stus who pushed him down with a forearm but Brunson was called for an offensive foul, and near the end Josh Hart got hit in the face with an elbow and the foul was called on him.

In a game were Miami was exerting physicality, the calls seemed inconsistent.

2. Miami Jumped Ahead in 2nd Quarter

Miami jumped out to a 15-9 lead but the Knicks fought back to take the lead 30-29 just before the end of the 1st quarter.

Off the glass from the corner pic.twitter.com/3dUghKqPpJ

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 9, 2023

But Miami started hitting outside shots and pulled ahead in the 2nd quarter to take a 10-pt lead just before the half. Bam Adebayo was active and Max Strus hit two key 3’s and a dunk.

3. Miami Kept Knicks at Bay in 3rd

The Knicks came at Miami hard in the 3rd quarter, but Miami kept them at bay.

Every time the Knicks closed, someone on Miami — like Kevin Love — seemed to hit a key jumper from 3.

Julius Randle attacked and scored; Miami countered.

Grown man slam pic.twitter.com/geEyAlvV85

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 9, 2023

NY was down 9 entering the 4th.

4. Knicks Couldn’t Get Even in 4th

RJ Barrett stepped up — making some Huge drives and hitting 3’s in the 4th. But Miami kept staying ahead — grabbing key offensive rebounds and scoring. The Knicks just couldn’t break through.

RJ all the way

(via @TheKnicksWall)pic.twitter.com/kCghX6m1yy

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 9, 2023

The Knicks pulled to within 6 multiple times — but then would come a key officiating call against them — like the offensive fouls on Randle. Or the Knicks would play great D, but Miami would gain the secondary offensive rebound and score anyway.

“Sometimes loose balls — you always say they’re 50-50 balls — but they’re not always 50-50 balls,” said Josh Hart afterwards. “Sometimes they bounce in your direction; sometimes they bounce in their direction. I think we could have probably rebounded the ball better especially in the 3rd and 4th quarter when we were getting stops. But sometimes it’s just how the ball bounces.”

5. Miami is a Very Good Team

“You got to give them a lot of credit, they have a lot of experience over there,” said Jalen Brunson afterwards. “They just played better than us. We didn’t do enough within the 48 minutes.”

“They’re sticking to their game plan, added Brunson. “They’re playing really physical. They’ve been getting offensive rebounds and second-chance points. You just have to give them a lot of credit; well coached over there.”

Miami is not just any 8 seed — they destroyed Milwaukee, which had the best record in the NBA — 4 games to 1 in the 1st round. Miami won 53 games last year and was a play away of beating Boston in game 7 — the Celtic team that went to the finals. In 2020 Miami went to the finals.

“Every Heat player knows their role, competes hard on both ends and plays through every possession,” noted NBA analyst Ross Kreines on Twitter. “And Erik Spoelstra plays a big part in that.”

6. Knicks Played Hard & Played Well

The Knicks lost — but they played hard and they played well; just not well enough against this Miami team and they were Killed by the Ref calls.

• RJ Barrett had a Big game — he played bully ball in the 4th coming up big when the Knicks needed him. He drove to the basket with aggression and was efficient in scoring drives and he hit his 3. Barrett had 26 pts on 9-16 shooting (3-5 from 3; 3-3 in free throws). A really terrific playoff performance by him.

And-1 for RJ

(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/RnNhoUmlE5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 9, 2023

• Jalen Brunson had a game-high 32 points on 10-21 shooting (2-7 from 3; 10-11 in free throws).

That's so TUFF! pic.twitter.com/WWy8jicMCv

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 8, 2023

• Julius Randle played great — 20 points on 8-13 shooting (1-4 from 3; 3-5 in free throws) with 9 rebounds in 39 minutes. If he had gotten calls — instead of getting offensive foul calls — he would have had a huge night. Instead — Knicks twitter smashed him, pointing out a couple of plays were he let a guy go on offense — ‘snippet analysis’ — showing a single play out of 39 minutes irregarding the fact Randle was trying not to foul as he was in foul trouble.

Get to your spot and get buckets pic.twitter.com/rkGoXh0Tvh

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 8, 2023

• Quentin Grimes played well — 42 very active minutes defending Jimmy Butler. Butler finished with 28 points anyway.
• Mitchell Robinson had some terrific moments with block shots and slams — but overall had trouble with Bam Adebayo (23 pts on 10-17 shooting) — although some of Adebayo’s shots came when Robinson was rotating.

“I think we were playing a little too fast,” said Quentin Grimes afterwards. “Then kind of settled down a little bit. I feel like the crowd kind of helped them a little bit. They were kind of firing in certain positions, throwing random traps to get us out of our offense. We need to slow it down and play our game.”

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401544976

The post NBA Refs Give the Heat Game 4. Miami 109 NY 101 appeared first on Knicks.City.

The Knicks came out tentative against Miami’s defense, enabling the Heat to jump out to a 19-8 lead. Playing free and easy and with confidence, Miami pushed the lead to 41-23 early in the 2nd quarter.

The Knicks finally gained their footing and fought back — pulling to within 12 before the half. NY and RJ Barrett started strong in the 3rd — pulling to within 11 — but Jimmy Butler and Max Strus countered and Miami was back up 18 just like that. NY trailed by 18-20 points for most of the 4th — they just could not get anything going from 3 — going 8-40.

“The start of the game, we got back on our heels,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “Their aggressiveness. The ball in the paint. You gotta read the game. We couldn’t get stops early, so we couldn’t get any easy buckets. So — you pay the price.”

1. Heat Came Out Hot — with Energy and Defense

Miami came out with aggressiveness on defense and on offense.

Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler were getting buckets inside and Max Strus was hitting jumpers and making drives.

Strus did a little bit of everything tonight to help us get the win. pic.twitter.com/B4cca1nL7Y

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 6, 2023

The Knicks seemed to be timid to the moment — trying too hard to not make a mistake, and therefore making mistakes. Miami’s defense had something to do with that.

“The first half we turned the ball over and gave up easy buckets in transition,” noted Thibs afterwards.

Credit Eric Spoelstra — one of the best coaches in the game, and a match for Thibs; why some (like us) have predicted that the winner of this series goes to the finals and could win it all.

“It’s tough enough to beat the Heat with Jimmy Butler back but when you give Erik Spoelstra a few days to game plan, huge problems,” said NBA analyst Ross Kreines on Twitter. “Erik makes great adjustments, utilizes his players’ strengths while taking away your strengths, use of bench and always gives the Heat a chance to win.”

2. Knicks Got their Footing in 2nd Quarter

Miami playing free and easy moved the lead to 18 points early in the 2nd quarter. The Knicks were not hitting 3’s, and not passing cohesively.

The Knicks started to gain their confidence and footing and started to eat into the Miami lead — Jalen Brunson started penetrating and hitting floaters, Immanuel Quickley started getting buckets, and Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes added to the offense.

Keep going JB! pic.twitter.com/XL5pRR8Ago

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 6, 2023

When Quickley hit a 3 with 3 minutes left in the half, NY was down by 10.

Miami pushed back — and led by 14 at the half.

3. Barrett Led Knicks at Start of 3rd

RJ Barrett came on strong at the start of the 3rd and NY pulled back within 11.

RJ in attack mode pic.twitter.com/oedUG45ANH

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 6, 2023

But Jimmy Butler and Strus and Adebayo countered and in minutes Miami was back up by 18.

“We got it down to 10 a couple of times but then we could never get that next one,” said Thibs. “And they played from a lead the whole game. You give a team a cushion it’s hard. Every time we seemed to have a crack to getting back into it we didn’t make the next one.”

4. Knicks D Was Good; Offense Not Good

Despite the 18-point loss, the end-of-game stats did not give Miami a big advantage:

• Miami had 50 rebounds; NY had 48
• Miami shot 7-32 from 3; NY shot 8-40 from 3
• Miami shot 38 percent from the floor; NY shot 32 percent from the floor
• Both teams had 13 turnovers
• Miami was 28-31 in free throws; NY was 16-22 in free throws

Thibodeau thought the Knick defense did well enough; it was the offense that sputtered.

“Defensively — they’re in the 30’s, in the 20’s from 3 — 105 — but offensively we need to do better.”

“This team was averaging 125 — so 105… but offensively we need energy too, and we need to trust the pass. When we trust the pass we’ll create good shots. And credit to them, they played great defense.”

“You have to create space first, and then create rhythm,” added Thibs. “And you gotta make some shots, and we didn’t do that.”

Etcetera

• Julius Randle could not get tracked offensively but did finish with 14 rebounds — he was 4-15 (0-5 from 3) for 10 points.
• Jimmy Butler — guarded by Josh Hart throughout the evening — had 28 points on 9-21 shooting, and 10-11 from the free throw line.
• The Knicks limited Gabe Vincent to 5 points on 1-8 shooting (0-4 from 3) but Max Strus hurt them instead, scoring 19 pts on 7-14 shooting (3-10 from 3).
• Jalen Brunson had 20 points on 7-20 shooting (0-5 from 3) with 6 rebounds and 8 assists.
• Josh Hart had 15 pts on 5-12 shooting  (2-6 from 3) with 12 rebounds.
• RJ Barrett had 14 points on 5-16 shooting (2-7 from 3; 2-3 in free throws and a horrific -32.
• Mitchell Robinson only played 14 minutes and had 5 rebounds and 2 points. Isaiah Hartenstein played 26 minutes with 3 rebounds and 0 points. That only amounted to 40 minutes, due to the Knicks going small throughout the 4th quarter to see if that would do something, said Thibodeau afterwards.
• Bam Adebayo had 17 points and 14 rebounds.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401544975

The post Clobbered. Miami 105 NY 86 in Game 3 appeared first on Knicks.City.

Game 2 of the 7 game series vs the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks down a game already. The Heat without their star forward Jimmy Butler — which meant losing would be that much more defeating.

The Knicks started out good but Miami took an 8-point lead in the 2nd quarter — playing zone defense and hitting the 3 ball. NY battled back to tie it; Miami took the lead by 3 at the half, and went up by 6 points early in the 3rd — with the likes of Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin hitting 3 after 3.

Miami kept threatening to build a big lead and take game 2 of the series; but the Knicks held on like junkyard dogs, battling back to take a lead late in the 3rd. Miami came right back — taking a 6-point lead early in the 4th. Dogfight.

No matter what the Knicks did on D — Miami seemed to have an answer — spreading their offense ala Mike D’Antoni in his prime, with Vincent, Robinson, or Martin constantly hitting 3’s with a second left on the 24.

And then with 5:30 left in the 4th quarter, the Knicks put their D into overdrive and Isaiah Hartenstein and Josh Hart triggered the plays that turned the tide. Hartenstein — who had given NY a big energy lift when he entered late in the 3rd quarter — grabbed offensive rebound after offensive rebound; Hart grabbed the ones he wasn’t getting; Brunson hit big 3’s — and Hart followed suit. Randle was penetrating, drawing the D, and feeding Hart for corner 3’s. And the Knicks took control.

Final score: NY 111 Miami 105, at an electrified Madison Square Garden on a Tuesday night — the raucous celebrating crowd including many former Knicks: Carmelo Anthony, John Starks, Bernard King, and Amare Stoudemire were seen celebrating on the sidelines.

“It was a hard fought game,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “We knew the way the game unfolded at the beginning we’d see a lot of zone; a lot of 3’s. I thought in the 2nd half we competed really well. We had a lot of hustle plays. Julius gutted it out; played tough. Jalen was fantastic. RJ big big start to the game for us. We had a number of guys step up and get it done.”

“Josh did everything,” continued Thibs. “That’s who he is; you talk about the playmaking ability, the assists, the big 3’s, the rebounds, the defense. Isaiah — those were huge hustle plays he made. We needed them. Great screen to free up Josh in the corner. Those things are unselfish and winning plays. This is the type of series this is — hard fought on every play.”

1. Barrett Dominated in the 1st Half

RJ Barrett was a big story for the Knicks in the 1st half — he dominated as the best player on the court — attacking the basket constantly for efficient drives — and hitting his 3 ball. Barrett carried NY to the early lead, and kept the Knicks in it as Miami came back with their spread-the-court-hit-the-3 offense.

RJ hits the open triple

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/H3ci9oa4nv

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 2, 2023

Barrett would finish with 24 points on 8-17 shooting (5-9 from 3).

2. Randle Attack Mode

Meanwhile Julius Randle was in Attack mode. He was questionable before the game with the re-aggrevated ankle sprain that kept him out of Game 1, but played with aggression. He played like he feared nobody on the Miami team — and kept taking it to the rim for scores or making good passes out.

Randle would finish with 25 pts, 12 rebounds, 8 assists and a +14.

Attack mode activated pic.twitter.com/DkeNirIDXf

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 2, 2023

3. Hartenstein & Brunson Key Late 3rd Quarter Knick Surge

With 5:38 left in the 3rd, and NY down 68-66, Isaiah Hartenstein came into the game for Mitchell Robinson, who picked up his 4th foul.

It would be the beginning of a turning point. As well as Robinson had been playing, Hartenstein gave the Knicks a new burst of energy: he OWNED the boards for the next 11 minutes, and started making Hustle plays that ignited the Knicks.

Jalen Brunson took over on offense — hitting a 26-foot step back jumper, then a 3, and then a floater with 2:44 left in the 3rd to give NY an 84-83 lead.

Miami took back the lead on a Gabe Vincent jumper to take an 85-84 lead into the 4th.

4. Dogfight at Start of 4th

RJ Barrett came right back for a drive at the start of the 4th to regain the lead for NY. But Caleb Martin hit a 3 to put Miami back on top.

Dogfight.

When Hartenstein ripped down a rebound and threw a quarterback pass to Grimes ahead of field for tie game at 80-80 — MSG exploded.

I-HART OUTLETS >>>>

(via @TheKnicksWall) pic.twitter.com/gJJcTRCheK

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 3, 2023

But Miami just kept coming back — hitting 3’s late in the 24 second clock no matter how ferocious the Knick D. When Caleb Martin hit a 3 with 7:06 left in the 4th, Miami was up 6 again. Knicks timeout.

5. Knicks Take Command in Last 6 Minutes

Turning Point #1

At the timeout, with 7:06 left in the game, Josh Hart entered for RJ Barrett — another turning point.

Out of the timeout, Jalen Brunson hit a 3 off a great screen by Hartenstein, and Hartenstein was knocked to the ground by Bam Adebayo — Hartenstein was granted a free throw — a 4-pt play. NY down 2.

A Jalen Brunson jumper next time down tied the game at 93.

Brunson sinks the fader for the tie pic.twitter.com/fYxMXVVb5L

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 3, 2023

But Gabe Vincent was fouled on a 3 that he looked like he flopped on — and made all 3 free throws to put Miami back up 3.

Turning Point #2

But then at the 5:30 mark — Hartenstein triggered another turning point — Brunson missed a jumper — Hartenstein grabbed the offensive rebound; Quentin Grimes missed a 3 — Hartenstein again helped with the offensive rebound with loose ball foul by Max Strus who fell underneath him. Josh Hart missed a jumper, but Hartenstein again grabbed the offensive rebound. Julius Randle got the ball top of the key, Hartenstein set a screen, and Randle found Hart in the corner for a 3 — BANG. Tie game!

ALL HART 3⃣ pic.twitter.com/lxW2MCsDCt

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) May 3, 2023

The Knicks defended, and Jalen Brunson came down and hit a HUGE 3. NY 99 Miami 96.

Jalen Brunson AGAIN pic.twitter.com/S9tPFKC7ca

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 3, 2023

The Knicks were on a 12-3 run.

KNICKS WIN!!!
KNICKS WIN!!!
KNICKS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/wabzDN4IjU

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 3, 2023

Hartenstein drew his 5th foul with 3:55 left, and left for Mitchell Robinson.

Turning Point #3

The Knicks defense INTENSIFIED. In the final 4 minutes that defense would cause Miami’s shooters to miss pressured 3’s.

• Vincent missed a 3 with 4:17 left.
• Kevin Love missed a 3 with 3:43 left
• Caleb Martin missed a 3 with 3:07 left — an airball and shot clock violation.

Down the other end, Brunson hit a floater for a 101-96 NY lead.

Kyle Lowry responded with a drive of his own to make it 101-98 NY, and Bam Adebayo hit a short jumper to make it 101-100 NY with 1:58 left.

Dogfight.

Turning Point #4

Down the other end, Julius Randle drew a double team and found Hart in the corner for ANOTHER HUGE 3. NY 104 Miami 100.

JOSH HART IS CLUTCH

MSG IS LOUD pic.twitter.com/tQAU4QsXc3

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) May 3, 2023

Turning Point #5

The Knicks Defense forced Lowry into a miss on a drive, and down the other end Hart missed a 3, grabbed his own rebound, drove to the basket, missed a layup against heavy bodies — the ball rolling off the front of the rim where Julius Randle ripped it down and was fouled. Randle hit 2 free throws and NY was up 106-100 with 1:02 left.

Again the intense Knick defense caused Vincent to miss a 3.

Josh Hart grabbed the rebound and fed ahead of the field. The Knicks played keep away then Grimes saw Mitchell Robinson alone under the basket — fed him but the ball was tipped — Robinson grabbed it and was auto fouled by Bam Adebayo. Robinson line-drived one free throw in and NY was up 107-100 with 47 seconds left.

Again the intense Knick defense caused Martin to miss a 3. Josh Hart made 1 of 2 free throws for a 108-100 NY lead with 31 seconds left.

“Josh Hart making big time plays down the stretch and give credit to Julius Randle making the right pass at the right time that led to Hart’s open 3,” said NBA analyst Ross Kreines on Twitter. “Also, Josh Hart will never cheat you of his minutes: toughness and his willingness to make extra effort plays, usually decide games.”

Miami Would Not Give Up

But Miami wouldn’t give up — Vincent hit a drive, and Randle turned the ball over by stepping on the white line trying to inbound the ball against heavy Miami pressure. Duncan Robinson hit a 3 and Miami was down by only 3 with 22 seconds left.

Miami tried to steal the ball from NY with a pressure D but NY maintained it and Miami was forced to foul Hart with 12 seconds left. He made both free throws to finally ice it.

Etcetera

• Brunson finished with 30 points on 10-19 shooting (6-10 from 3) and a +12. He had shot 0-7 from 3 in game 1.
• Hart had 14 points on 4-11 shooting (2-4 from 3), 11 rebounds and 9 assists and a +16. He had shot 0-4 from 3 in game 1.
• Immanuel Quickley only played 9 minutes — he was 3-7 from the floor — hitting his floater, but 0-4 from 3.
• With Randle back, Obi Toppin played 10 minutes. He had an important rebound but was 0-2 for 0 pts and a -8.
• NY outrebounded Miami 50-34.
• Miami was 17-49 from 3.
• NY was 16-40 from 3.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401544974

The post Gut Wrenching Win! Hartenstein Keys 4th Quarter Rally. NY 111 Miami 105 appeared first on Knicks.City.

The Knicks got off to a great start, and were in command in the first half, but Miami took control in the 2nd half — and executed down the stretch while the Knicks did not.

Miami put up a wall of defense inside the paint, which negated efforts of Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley to penetrate, and the Knicks were putrid from 3 — shooting 7-34 for 20.6 percent (while Miami was 13-39 for 33.3%).

NY fought to the end, but could not produce enough offense in the final 5 minutes. A key play came with 4:35 left — Mitchell Robinson ripped down a rebound with the Knicks down 3 and in the middle of charging back from a 10-pt deficit. But the ball was poked from his hands, Miami recovered, and Gabe Vincent nailed a 3.

“We didn’t close the 2nd quarter well”, said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “3rd quarter we didn’t protect the basket the first few minutes. Then fought back; made it a 1-possession game. And obviously we’re going to have to shoot the ball better than we did tonite. We outrebounded them but the thing is the discrepancy on the 3’s is a lot to make up if they’re making 13 and we’re making 7. And 29 free throws — we’re giving them a lot; some were fouls at the end.”

The Knicks were without Julius Randle, out with the sprained ankle. Miami is without Tyler Herro who is gone from the playoffs with a broken hand.

1. Knicks Command 1st Half; Barrett & Toppin Tremendous

NY took control at the start and were up by as many as 12 points for a good part of the 2nd quarter. RJ Barrett was the best player on the court — making drive after drive to the hoop, penetrating and dishing for Mitchell Robinson slams, and hitting a 3 as well.

Don't do em like that @RjBarrett6 pic.twitter.com/aNFfiKljpY

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 30, 2023

Barrett would finish with 26 points on 10-20 shooting. But after hitting an initial 3, he ended up going 1-5 from there — a problem all the Knicks had.

OH MY ROBINSON @RjBarrett6 to @23savage____ ALL DAY pic.twitter.com/8oCi2hb3pS

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 30, 2023

Obi Toppin was tremendous as well — scoring, rebounding, hitting 3’s — playing a tremendous all-around game in place of Randle. He would finish with 18 points on 7-15 shooting (4-11 from 3).

OFFENSE GOIN CRAZY@RjBarrett6 @obitoppin1 pic.twitter.com/WOpCLmmZPU

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 30, 2023

Jalen Brunson was orchestrating; Mitchell Robinson was dominating defensively inside (finished with 14 rebounds, 2 blocks), and Josh Hart was doing a job on Jimmy Butler — neutralizing him. Immanuel Quickley came off the bench and played well — penetrating and hitting his shot.

Off-balance LAYYYYY pic.twitter.com/fqVY6LV4e5

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 30, 2023

The Knicks were humming.

NY was up 32-21 after the 1st quarter, and up 40-28 midway through the 2nd quarter.

But Miami held steady and climbed back in the game — helped by the pain-in-the-ass 3-pt shooting of Gabe Vincent, who ended up with 20 points on 6-16 shooting (5-12 from 3).

2. Miami Packed the Middle

Coach Spoelestra made adjustments at the half. In the 2nd half, Miami packed the middle with a wall of guys anytime Brunson or Quickley or Barrett tried to penetrate. The Knicks also didn’t get calls on drives — especially Barrett and Brunson.

“We scored 60 points in the paint,” said Thibodeau afterwards. “That part was good. I have to look at the film. Seemed like there was a lot of contact that we didn’t get.”

And the Knicks just couldn’t hit from the outside.

• Brunson had 25 points on 11-23 shooting but was 0-7 from 3.
• Hart had 10 points on 5-12 shooting, but was 0-4 from 3.
• Quickley had 9 points on 3-9 shooting, but was 1-4 from 3.

3. Vincent & Lowry Killed NY

Jimmy Butler got his points in the 2nd half, ending up with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Bam Adebayo had 16 points.

But what killed NY in the 2nd half, besides Vincent being a pain in the ass with the 3, was Kyle Lowry — coming off the bench and stepping up with his Defense. Lowry kept stripping Knicks as they drove the lane, and sent the ball in the other direction.

Lowry also hit 3’s — finishing with 18 points on 5-12 shooting (3-6 from 3).

Obi Toppin did not play in the 4th — Thibodeau said it was because of “matching up; the way they were.”

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401544973

The post Damning Start to Series. Gut-Wrenching Loss. Miami 108 NY 101 appeared first on Knicks.City.

RJ Barrett was the other best player on the court — scoring on drives all night long, playing great defense, and hitting his 3 — for 21 points on efficient 7-13 shooting (2-4 from 3, 5-6 in free throws) and a +21.

Jalen Brunson did his thing — orchestrating and attacking the Cleveland defense. Josh Hart was all over the place on D; nullifying Donovan Mitchell and ripping down rebounds. Immanuel Quickley was hitting his shot.

And Julius Randle started out a Man on Fire — attacking, passing, scoring on drives — until he sprained his bad ankle late in the 2nd quarter and went out of the game. The Knicks didn’t miss a beat — Obi Toppin an able replacement with  tremendous activity — defense, steals, rebounds, slams, and 3’s for 12 points.

And the Knicks won — thoroughly — convincingly — start to finish.

“We had a number of guys step up tonite,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “I thought the way Mitch played set the tone for everything. And Julius was super aggressive to start the game. And I think that gave us a big lift. And once we had the cushion, playing from the lead on the road was huge for us. But I think the rebounding was the name of the game.”

1. NY Asserted Dominance Early

The score was 10-10 early when NY started to make their move and take control — going up 21-14, and then 29-18 — an 11-point lead — late in the 1st quarter.

Barrett was driving to the hole. Robinson was making offensive rebound tip-ins, and Julius Randle was a man possessed — aggressively driving to the basket then making great passes to the outside, or taking it for scores.

Mitchell Robinson ACTIVE early on

5 PTS – 5 REB – 2 BLK – 1 STL in the 1st already@23savage____ pic.twitter.com/RuhY3KLjJe

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 26, 2023

Isaac Okoro — a great defender known as not a great offensive player — hit a 3 and a drive to keep Cleveland in it late in the quarter — NY led 33-26 after 1.

2. Knicks Maintained Double-Digit Lead In 2nd

In the 2nd, it was more Barrett — driving for buckets and hitting his 3. Immanuel Quickley joined in — hitting his shot. And Mitchell Robinson continued to Beast inside with offensive rebounds and tip backs, defense and rebounding.

Toppin steals it from Donovan Mitchell

Quickley assists to Barrett

OUR GUYS pic.twitter.com/DBiT8Ng5Zd

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 26, 2023

Randle was Man on Fire and Jalen Brunson was attacking — NY built a 55-39 lead with 3:52 left in the half.

Randle Re-Aggrevates Ankle Injury

Caris LeVert hit a 3 with 1:19 left in the half to pull Cleveland within 10, and Julius Randle — coming over to defend him on a switch, came down LeVert’s foot — on the same ankle Randle sprained badly 2 weeks ago. Randle went down and it looked bad — as if he might have ripped tendons. After some time writhing in pain, he was able to get up and limp off to the lockeroom.

Julius Randle heads to the locker room with an injury, let's hope he's all good

His first half:

13 PTS – 4 REB – 6 AST pic.twitter.com/4i8GT1NSl6

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 27, 2023

3. No Randle No Problem; Knicks Continue Dominance in 3rd

Obi Toppin started the 3rd with a 3, and then a Dunk off a Josh Hart steal and feed, then a jumpshot off a Mitchell Robinson feed — 7 straight points for Obi and NY had a 68-53 lead.

OBI TOPPIN WINDMILL SLAM pic.twitter.com/P6xGtrx9ag

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 27, 2023

Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Caris LeVert did their best to try and bring Cleveland back — hitting shots — but RJ Barrett and Hart countered.

Cleveland pulled to within 9 — but Toppin hit a 3, Brunson stole the ball from Donovan Mitchell for a drive, and then Brunson fed Toppin for an ahead-of-field dunk on a Beautiful bounce pass and NY was up 81-65 with 4 minutes left in the 3rd. Cavaliers Time Out.

Jalen Brunson absolute DIME to Obi Toppin

KNICKS BASKETBALL. pic.twitter.com/KCSV0zOFdC

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 27, 2023

Donovan Mitchell scored 5 straight points near the end of the 3rd quarter (including a 3) but Brunson answered with a big bucket to end the quarter Knicks up 12.

4. NY Thwarted Cleveland’s Best Comeback Attempt in 4th

Darius Garland got loose near the start of the 4th — a 3 and back-to-back jumpers to pull Cleveland within 6 — 90-84 with 8:10 left.

But RJ Barrett answered by going strong to the hole where he was fouled — and hit both free throws — and then Quickley did the same thing next time down — to up NY’s lead back to 10.

Down the stretch — Mitchell Robinson absolutely took over.

• Mitchell Robinson hit a SLAM off a Hart pass and NY was back up 12, with 6 minutes left.
• Robinson’s dunk with 3:47 left kept NY’s lead at 12.
• Robinson’s offensive tip-in with 3:14 left put NY up 14.

MITCHELL ROBINSON IS DOMINATING

13 PT – 16 REB double-double now pic.twitter.com/p1UT5ZjbDp

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 27, 2023

Donovan Mitchell furiously tried to bring Cleveland back — two floaters sandwiching Garland free throws brought Cleveland within 8 with 1:31 left but they were running out of time. They were forced to foul, and the Knicks hit their free throws.

Brunson hit 2 free throws with 1:22 left and after a Donovan Mitchell 3, Quickley hit 2 free throws with 1:06 left — putting NY up by 9.

More Quickley free throws after a Cedi Osman miss iced it. When Josh Hart blocked Donovan Mitchell’s 3-pt attempt with 45 seconds left and NY up 106-95, Cleveland gave up. A fitting end to the game and the series.

5. Robinson Dominated

Mitch Robinson absolutely dominated under both boards all evening.

• Robinson out rebounded Jarrett Allen 18-4. Robinson outrebounded Allen and Evan Mobley Combined — 18-13.
• Robinson also had 3 blocks and 2 steals while Allen had 0 blocks, 0 steals.
• Robinson had an incredible 11 offensive boards.

Jarrett Allen is an All Star. What does that make Robinson?

Isaiah Hartenstein spelled Robinson for 12 minutes and played well, with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, a block and a +1.

Josh Hart grabbed 12 rebounds. NY outrebounded Cleveland 48-30.

6. Barrett Spectacular

And RJ Barrett was also Dominant all evening. Efficient power drives to the basket, great D, hitting his 3 and his free throws — played like an All Star.

It was Great redemption for him as he had been RIPPED the F apart by NY fans in recent weeks for not hitting his 3, and was rumored to be the main part of a trade package for Donovan Mitchell last July.

The series is over. Barrett dominated. Mitchell didn’t move the needle. The Knicks were BLASTED and MADE FUN OF by the media for not making the trade. But it turned out to be a wise decision by the Knicks.

Etcetera

Post Game Interviews:

Mitchell Robinson reacts to his 11 offensive rebounds

Says he and Josh Hart motivated each other on the boards:@23savage____ x @joshhart pic.twitter.com/SmT8jqH1Ox

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 27, 2023

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401541249

The post MITCHELL ROBINSON DOMINATES! Knicks Advance! NY 106 Cleveland 95 appeared first on Knicks.City.

The result: NY dominated the 1st half, taking a 15-pt lead, then withstood a Darius Garland-led Cleveland comeback in the 3rd quarter — wherein the Cavs took a 3-pt lead. NY took back control at the end of the 3rd, and dominated the 4th quarter — imposed their will — for the 102-93 win at an insanely rocking Madison Square Garden on a Sunday afternoon.

The stakes: Massive. NY wins the all-important Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best of 7 series. They put Cleveland on their heels. Showed they were the dominant team. Cleveland fans on Twitter are already proposing trades for the off season.

Next game in Cleveland, Wednesday night.

“Got Hit Hard, Picked Ourselves Up”

“The energy to start (the 3rd),” said coach Tom Thibodeau about Cleveland coming back in the 3rd. “Our defense wasn’t very good. We were playing slowly but when you’re not getting stops it tends to lead to that. We know there are going to be shifts in games; we got to make sure we get through that. We responded. Got hit hard, picked ourselves up and came back.”

“We knew this game was going to be a challenge because of the quick turnaround,” added Thibs about Toppin playing the entire 4th. “Late game on Friday; turnaround; early start today. Find a way to win. That group (at start of the 4th) got going. You’re making your decision at the 5 or 6 minute mark. We rode that out. Those guys built the lead, and obviously whatever you think gives you the best chance to win that’s what you’re going to do. At the same time you have a number of guys who are sacrificing and putting the team first.”

“Julius Is Our Horse”

“Look Julius is our horse,” continued Thibodeau about Randle. “He’s given us everything that he has. A lot of guys probably wouldn’t be playing. I knew the quick turnaround would affect him more than most players. He was out an extended amount of time. The thing I love about him, he gives you everything he has. He’s done that to come back the way he did to be ready for game 1. Credit to him. And we need him — he’s our horse.”

1. Barrett Leads Knicks to 15-Pt Lead in 2nd

The Knicks showed dominance early, jumping out to an 18-10 lead and leading 30-23 at the end of the 1st quarter. Barrett, Brunson and Hart were doing most of the scoring — Barrett aggressively driving to the bucket for a jumper, drive, and fouled twice for free throws.

The Knicks Defense intensified; the Knick bigs were owning the inside, and Mitchell Robinson got into the scoring with alley oop layups and slams. When Jalen Brunson hit a step-back with with 5 minutes left in the 2nd, NY upped their lead to 15 points.

COUNT THAT. DON'T FORGET THE FOUL. @23savage____ pic.twitter.com/AARcS2BaJE

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 23, 2023

Mitchell Robinson absolutely dominated the glass on both ends in the 2nd quarter and RJ Barrett hit big buckets at the end of the half.

“Good early activity by Mitchell Robinson on the glass and on offensive glass with rebounds he can’t control,” said NBA analyst Ross Kreines on Twitter. “He plays volley-ball that leads to 2nd chance opportunities for himself, others and can lead to open 3’s. Also, doing a good job going straight up and blocking/altering shots.”

With Quentin Grimes out with the shoulder contusion injury, Miles McBride came off the bench for 5 minutes at the start of the quarter and played well — defending Donovan Mitchell and hitting a big 3 of his own. It showed NY’s depth. Remember, Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose don’t even play.

Cleveland regrouped with Cedi Osman, Donovan Mitchell, and Caris Levert scoring to pull back within 9 at the half — which wasn’t bad considering how much of a bloody nose they had taken from the Knicks.

2. Garland Goes Nuts to Lead Cavs Back in 3rd

And then came the 3rd quarter. Darius Garland went NUTS — penetrating for scores, hitting 3’s, and penetrating and assisting for scores. He single-handedly opened up the Knick defense and led Cleveland back.

Garland scored 11 points in the quarter and had 5 assists, for 10 more points — feeding the likes of Evan Mobley and Jarret Allen down low.

• Garland fed Allen for a dunk with 6:27 left to give Cleveland a 63-61 lead and take the air out of Madison Square Garden and Knick fans at home.
• Garland then hit a drive and one for a 66-63 Cleveland lead.
• When Garland fed LeVert for a 3-pointer with 4:40 left, Cleveland took a 69-66 lead.

Knicks Begin Counter Punch

But the Knicks battled back.

• RJ Barrett took it to the hole for a foul and 2 made free throws.
• Hartenstin had a HUGE block on an Issac Okoro shot, then fed Barrett, and
• RJ Barrett took it length of the court for a phenomenal drive against bodies to regain the lead for NY at 70-69.

ISAIAH SAID MEET ME AT THE RIM

.@RjBarrett6 with the tuff lay pic.twitter.com/BzJ385WWAM

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 23, 2023

• Isaac Okoro hit a jumper to put Cleveland back on top but
• Hartenstein had a HUGE block again — this time on Jarrett Allen inside, and
• Jalen Brunson hit a Big 3 with 6 seconds left in the quarter to give NY a 73-71 lead entering the 4th.

NY had retaken command.

3. Knicks Counter Punch & Command Frenetic 4th

RJ Barrett continued to dominate the game and push the Knicks to a win in the 4th.

• Barrett’s drive with 9:36 left put NY up 78-75.
• Barrett’s jumper with 8:56 left put NY up 80-75

RJ got @TheGarden ROCKIN' pic.twitter.com/cW9EtkLeJ7

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 23, 2023

• Brunson then hit a Huge 3..

WE HAVE CHILLS.

HOW BOUT Y'ALL?? pic.twitter.com/SDxcOYwXcd

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 23, 2023

and then…

Toppin Circle Drive “Put Back”

• Obi Toppin grabbed an offensive rebound with 6:17 left, dribbled to the corner — not seeing anyone open — dribbled to the left side, then dribbled to top of the key, then drove to the bucket for a score — and NY was up 86-79. A clutch, magnificent ‘circle drive’ that a reporter later said was “technically a put back.”

OBI TOPPIN GETTING TO THE BUCKET pic.twitter.com/2Vkl5yaUe4

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 23, 2023

At this point fans on TV and the broadcast media (former Knicks Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mike Breen) were wondering if Julius Randle was coming back in this game.

He didn’t. Randle had been having an off night (3-10 shooting, 0-4 from 3) and Coach Thibs went with the hot hand — Toppin played the entire 4th.

Barrett, Hart, Brunson

• A Garland jumper pulled Cleveland within 86-81, but
• Brunson, doubled teamed, fed Barrett who SLICED to the rim for another Clutch Drive to make it 88-81 NY,
• Josh Hart grabbed a big rebound, then hit a CLUTCH jumper from the free throw line down the other end as MSG Erupted — NY was up 90-81.

JOSH HART IS CLUTCH

BEDLAM AT THE GARDEN pic.twitter.com/cPJCm1yWWo

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 23, 2023

• Cleveland, losing ground, frantically tried to stay in it — Jarrett Allen with an inside hook to make it 90-83.
• But Josh Hart took it the length of the court for a DUNK and NY was up 92-83
• Jarrett Allen got another inside bucket and finally Donovan Mitchell hit a jumper to pull Cleveland back within 7 with 2:13 left,
• Jalen Brunson hit another HUGE 3 with 1:45 left and NY was up 97-87.

BANG. pic.twitter.com/LWqLJ0Vnrx

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 23, 2023

At the end — it was more Barrett — fouled on a drive for a free throw, and then, after Garland hit another 3 — Barrett hit a jumper in the lane to give NY a 100-98 lead with 48 seconds left and ice it.

Garland hit yet another 3 from the corner but Josh Hart made free throws, and Levert missed a 3, Robinson grabbed the rebound and Cleveland gave up with 31 seconds left.

4. Robinson & Hartenstein Own Inside

Key to the win was the inside dominance of Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein. Both dominated their counterparts — Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — and put up a WALL against Cleveland guards who tried to penetrate (besides Garland!).

Hartenstein had the two HUGE blocks in the 3rd quarter — on Isaac Okoro and Jarret Allen.

• Robinson finished with 12 points on 5-7 shooting (2-3 in free throws), 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
• Hartenstein had 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 21 minutes with a +10.

5. Barrett Redemption

It was the second straight Great game for RJ Barrett — getting redemption as so many Knick fans ripped the F out of him on Twitter and pod casts in the last few weeks. And redemption for the trade rumors of last July that had him going to Utah as the key player in the Donovan Mitchell trade — with Utah’s Danny Ainge asking for Barrett and a boat load of other players and #1 picks for Mitchell.

RJ Barrett appreciation tweet pic.twitter.com/AqKbx1ZAtA

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 23, 2023

“Super aggressive,” said Thibs about Barrett afterwards. “Downhill. Getting to the line. Attacking the double teams. Getting to the backside. Getting them into some long closeouts, and I think he read those closeouts well.”

Meanwhile, Mitchell was HOUNDED by Hart all night — and scored only 2 points in the 2nd half.

• Barrett finished with 26 points on 9-18 shooting (although 0-6 from 3 — several of his 3’s rolled in and out; watching the game you swore he hit a few).
• Mitchell had 11 points on 5-18 shooting (0-4 from 3).

But the series is not over.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401541190

The post RJ BARRETT. Jalen Brunson. Team DEFENSE. NY 102 Cleveland 93 in Game #4 appeared first on Knicks.City.

RJ Barrett stood tall for the Knicks on both ends of the court, especially in the 1st quarter and early in the 2nd quarter when both teams couldn’t get much going against the other team’s defense. Barrett was the Knicks’ X-factor — getting to the rim for quick, efficient power drives, and hitting his 3.

Then late in the 2nd quarter Barrett got help on offense — Jalen Brunson and the Knick 2nd team showed out. The Knicks took over the game with a 22-8 run before the half, increased the lead in the 3rd quarter, and blew the Cavs off the court in the 4th — with NY up by 26 at some points. An almost identical stomping to the one NY received from Cleveland in game 2. Touche.

On a frenetic Friday night in NYC.

“It’s one game, is what it is,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “Now the challenge is to get ready for game 4. We have to take a look at the film, look at the things that we can do better, make our corrections and be ready for the game on Sunday. I think the activity on defense was important for us. Some of it was they missed some open shots too. We know that the next challenge will be even greater, and we need to play better.”

1.  Thibodeau

The biggest hero for the Knicks was coach Thibodeau — who had the team make corrections after the game 2 loss. After that defeat, Thibs said “We’ll just take a look at the film. Each game’s different. You’re playing the same team over and over. Nothing changes on how you process everything and how you prepare for the next game. Hopefully we’ve built that habit over the course of the season. Go back home, study, make corrections and prepare for the next game.”

He did and the Knicks team did.

The Knicks outrebounded Cleveland, had less turnovers (14 to 20), applied an even tighter Defense, and looked much better on offense.

Don't mess with Thibs pic.twitter.com/EMw9LudUPG

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 22, 2023

2. Barrett

Like a chess game it seemed, Thibs and the Knicks had RJ Barrett moving around the board like a bishop — setting screens for him to get clear paths to the rim.

The Knicks’s Defense — including Barrett’s defense — also got Barrett into the open court, where he was devastatingly efficient.

Get us GOING @RjBarrett6 pic.twitter.com/lw3aNMxfBz

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 22, 2023

On the defensive end, Barrett helped to Shut Down Darius Garland — who went 4-21 from the floor for 11 points. Barrett also guarded Caris Levert — who almost single handedly kept the Cavs in the game at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, hitting three straight 3’s and a deuce. LeVert hit his first 2 shots of the 4th before Barrett shut him down — LeVert missing his next 3 shots and getting stripped for an Obi Toppin slam the other way.

Barrett finished with 19 points on 8-12 shooting (3-6 from 3), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a +10.

“His floor game in game 1 was outstanding,” said Thibs about Barrett. “He had 6 assists and 4 steals; he didn’t shoot well. The thing about RJ — he’s very steady. He doesn’t get rattled. I thought he was real aggressive today. When you get him into the open court, he’ll make shots. He gets downhill; he’s tough to guard.”

3. Knicks Defense

The Knicks’ defense shut down Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and the Cavs attack. Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle were ALL OVER the Cavs front line of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

“The decision making — to have the ability to be up, get back, protect the rim,” said Thibs on Mitchell Robinson. “Where he’s making his decisions — very good. He can cover a lot of ground very quickly. You’re going to get 2 and 3 efforts from him. And then offensively, going to the boards — the offensive rebounding is huge as well.”

Randle only scored 11 points on 3-15 shooting but no one noticed — his Defense was Tremendous all evening.

JULIUS RANDLE POSTERS JARRETT ALLEN pic.twitter.com/WAvTiJT3Ci

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 22, 2023

4. Brunson

Jalen Brunson was in his bag from the 2nd quarter on. He shook off tough defense from Isaac Okoro and really went to work when Donovan Mitchell was on him. Brunson dominated — with his so-crafty drives into the lane for his deadly floater or short jumper, or passing to open Knicks.

"Brunson going deep into his bag that time!"

– @WaltFrazier pic.twitter.com/wruJXdpBsv

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 22, 2023

Brunson had 21 points on 10-18 shooting (0-4 from 3) with 6 assists and a +20.

JALEN BRUNSON

Dancing & prancing at The Garden! pic.twitter.com/ckZ7U7ex5M

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 22, 2023

5. The 2nd Team

The second team came to play — turning in an immaculate performance in the 2nd half especially — turning the game into a rout.

Immanuel Quickley was on his game — 4-6 shooting (2-3 from 3) for 11 points and a +27.

Obi Toppin played great Defense — intercepting passes — and got ahead of the open court for SLAMS — he had 8 points (on 3-8 shooting) and 4 steals.

JOSH HART STEAL.

OBI TOPPIN OOP.

PERFECTION. pic.twitter.com/VSGf6d5wLG

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 22, 2023

Isaiah Hartenstein played BIG inside — 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals in 18 minutes.

And Josh Hart was everywhere — guarding the hell out of Donovan Mitchell all evening and hitting 3’s and drives on offense. Hart had 13 points on 4-5 shooting (2-2 from 3; 3-4 in free throws), 6 rebounds, and 2 steals.

ALL HART.

ALL HUSTLE.

JOSH HART IS A DOG! pic.twitter.com/1XIbDERhOK

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 22, 2023

DMitchell had 22 points on 9-19 shooting and tried his best to get Cleveland going, but was unable to against the Knick pressure defense. He was a -19.

Quentin Grimes left the game with a shoulder contusion early in the 3rd quarter. He played 13 minutes.

Starks

The game reached its epiphany when Brunson hit a drive in the 4th quarter and got a dab from John Starks under the basket as Madison Square Garden was erupting .

Jalen Brunson daps up John Starks after the AND-1

Iconic. pic.twitter.com/eWK2gdjyok

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 22, 2023

World Wide Wob picked up more:

Brunson’s even got Starks with the chillshttps://t.co/0VFTf1VCbA pic.twitter.com/KwDBIGC8yN

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 22, 2023

The Fans

Madison Square Garden was LOUD. “I have goosebumps after 40 years folks!” said Walt Frazier as the game started.

After the game, Knick fans celebrated on the streets (and subways) of NYC.

Knicks fans celebrating the Game 3 W in the STREETS

WE OUTSIDE! pic.twitter.com/D7NoVRtISx

— x – KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 22, 2023

The Bing Bong Guy caught some of it:

best fanbase in sports pic.twitter.com/uHBVdD9Xoy

— BingBongGuy (@BingBongGuy) April 22, 2023

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401541182

The post RJ Barrett & Knick DEFENSE Crush Cavs. NY 99 Cleveland 79 appeared first on Knicks.City.