The New York Knicks squashed the Atlanta Hawks 122-101. The Knicks played well as a team and look promising in the final act of the season.
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The New York Knicks cruised to victory over the Atlanta Hawks, 122 to 101. They set the tone early with intense defense and led by 16 before the end of the first quarter. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle dominated again, while the bench unit came in and thrived. New York briefly slowed down in the third quarter but never let Atlanta come closer than 11 points.
The Knicks picked up an easy victory. They set the tone with physicality and caught Atlanta with one foot in Salt Lake City already. Let’s look at how the Knicks won their third game in a row en route to the All-Star Break.
A pair of Allstar performances from New York’s starters
Jalen Brunson: 28 PTS (10/19 FG, 1/6 3PT, 7/8 FT), 5 AST, 9 REB, 5 TO in 38 mins
Jalen Brunson’s revenge continued as he destroyed another quality defender after his All-Star snub. Brunson’s long-range game finally cooled off, but it didn’t matter. He attacked Dejounte Murray for buckets in the lane seemingly at will. He also scored timely buckets, stopping a 7-0 run that Atlanta put together in the third.
How about Brunson’s 9 rebounds? He grabbed a few impressive boards throughout the night, chasing down long rebounds frequently. The diminutive guard even boxed out John Collins to secure a rebound and push. I’ve praised the second-generation Knick for rebounding before, but this was his best night on the glass.
Brunson’s only weakness that stood out was ball protection. Young and Murray poked steals loose from behind after Brunson initially got a step on them. I don’t think it’s much to worry about, but this was the first game that I’ve noticed Jalen’s blind spot. He still picks up a 4 out of 5 for dominating a matchup with Trae Young, who “still ain’t good in Dyckman!”
Quentin Grimes: 6 PTS (2/7 FG, 2/6 3PT), 1 AST, 3 REB in 24 mins
Quentin Grimes is still slumping on offense. I’m happy he fired away from three-point land and closed the game by knocking one down. We didn’t see the sophomore’s quick first step, but he needs to rebuild confidence in his jumper. That’s his breadwinning weapon to build off.
Grimes was brilliant defensively, though he did run into early foul trouble. The fouls were worth it to establish a physical presence on Trae Young. Young never found a rhythm outside of the free-throw line. So, Grimes disrupted Young’s flow with the ball and avoided further fouling as the game wore on.
Grimes’ lack of offensive production meant he ceded minutes to Immanuel Quickley, Josh Hart, and RJ Barrett. But his 24 minutes were crucial, considering Trae Young shot 4/14 from the field. Even on a slow night, Grimes is an important piece. He gets a 3 out of 5 strictly for his defensive impact.
RJ Barrett: 17 PTS (6/16 FG, 0/6 3PT, 5/7 FT), 2 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL in 32 mins
RJ Barrett had an interesting night. He hammered Atlanta in the paint, particularly with early transition buckets. Barrett also flashed a turnaround from midrange out of a post move. But Barrett’s jumper from long range was entirely off. He wasn’t even close on 6 attempts from three, which dragged down his efficiency.
I’ve complained about Barrett’s efforts outside of scoring, but I’ll credit his rebounding here. He sprinted after a couple of long boards, which helped him start instant transitions at full speed. He only needed a few rebounds to build momentum on the open floor.
But we’re still waiting for Barrett’s defensive play to turn a corner. I don’t want to hear about being in the lab with Chris Brickley and adding to his bag anymore. Instead, I want to hear about RJ on an obstacle course learning to navigate screens and work on his lateral movement. But this is still a step in the right direction after RJ’s recent slump.
Barrett picks up a 2.5 out of 5 for scoring inside and grabbing a few challenging boards.
Julius Randle: 25 PTS (9/19 FG, 3/8 3PT, 4/5 FT), 2 AST, 11 REB, 3 TO in 35 mins
Julius Randle’s game stood out in the first and third quarters. He started the game blazing from long range. That led to some ill-advised heat checks, but Randle knocked down the rest of his looks. Then, after Randle’s jumper cooled off, he shifted gears and beat the Hawks up inside.
When I say that Randle beat up the Hawks, I’m being serious. He started the third quarter angry, jawing at officials before the second half began. But when New York needed buckets to slow down Atlanta, Randle turned his anger into offensive rebounds. That helped protect New York’s double-digit lead.
The rest is redundant to mention. Randle’s rebounding is excellent, and his defensive work is there despite a few lapses. He picked up some bad turnovers, but we can forgive those thanks to his effort and passing the rest of the way. The big man heads to the All-Star game next and picks up a 4 out of 5 in the final match before his trip.
Jericho Sims: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 6 REB in 22 mins
Jericho Sims played another solid game of basketball. He only finished one basket, but his efforts on defense and rebounding were notable. I especially liked Sims’ effort in rotations. You might spot him closing out to a baseline shooter or flying across the lane to meet a weak side slasher at the rim.
But Sims’ night was pretty uneventful overall. He made a solid contribution but not much beyond that. So he picks up a 2 out of 5 for his decent night.
The Knicks’ second unit dominates another matchup
Immanuel Quickley: 14 PTS (5/11 FG, 2/6 3PT, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL in 24 mins
Immanuel Quickley knocked down a pair of rapid-fire catch and shoot threes early. From there, he switched to doing damage in the middle. IQ used the threat of the pass to create space before finishing layups. His head fakes and ball handling impressively manipulated the defense.
Quick also stepped up when Grimes had early foul trouble. Unfortunately, the sixth man also picked up a bunch of fouls while crowding Young. But as I mentioned before, the fouls came with a physicality that kept Trae out of rhythm.
The second unit is cruising right now, which allows Quickley to pick his spots. His production isn’t crazy, but his impact goes beyond the numbers. IQ makes timely buckets and dimes while providing some of the team’s best defense. He gets a 3 out of 5 for this performance.
Josh Hart: 13 PTS (5/9 FG, 3/5 3PT), 2 AST, 5 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 24 mins
Josh Hart continued his hot streak since joining the Knicks. Hart started the game with a three and knocked down 3/5 from long distance overall. He also scattered a pair of excellent finishes between those jumpers.
But Hart’s true value comes from his energizing effect. My favorite play by the wing saw him deny Dejounte Murray at the rim to force a kick out. Hart flew to stop the layup, then got back into the play with time to hedge and deny a drive from Trae Young. Sadly, the ball went out of bounds, and Atlanta got it back. But those effort plays causes opponents to lose their rhythm and help build confidence for defenders.
We’re three games into the Josh Hart experiment, and everything is rosy. He’s grabbing big boards, sparking transitions, and shooting surprisingly better than he has all year. New York’s deadline trade looks like a steal at the moment. Hart picks up a 3.5 out of 5 for his energizing effect.
Obi Toppin: 11 PTS (4/7 FG, 3/6 3PT),1 REB in 13 mins
I mentioned that Obi is on the verge of breaking out of his slump last game. He came out in Atlanta and knocked down his three-pointers to continue this trend. I’d still like to see Obi with more diversity in his game, but his role starts with the three, and he converted those opportunities. Plus, he still snuck in a dunk for the fans.
Toppin didn’t produce much else, but playing just 13 minutes will do that. Tom Thibodeau praised Obi’s effort by name in the postgame. Randle’s just too hot for Toppin to see the necessary minutes to bust out of his shell truly. Obi gets a 2.5 out of 5 for scoring nearly a point per minute.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 6 PTS (3/6 FG), 11 REB, 3 BLK in 26 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein’s game is finally living up to the hype. Hart’s effort has never been a problem, but now that effort is more effective. He’s positioning himself and fighting for rebounds better than he has all year.
Hart’s newfound “feng shui” is evident in his drop coverage and rim protection. He’s finally figured out how to navigate the spacing of the defensive scheme without letting guards have free rein from close. Hart blocked Trae Young’s floaters and Okongwu’s dunks. I’m not sure which is more impressive, but the block on Okongwu looked awesome.
Hart’s defensive play has been tremendous and has me looking forward to Mitchell Robinson’s return. They’ll pair to patrol the paint and feast on the boards with no breaks for opposing teams. Hart earned a 3 out of 5 for his work inside.
Tom Thibodeau’s effect is visible
I’ve lost patience with Tom Thibodeau’s coaching habits plenty this year. But it’s hard to argue with the results right now. The Knicks are six games over .500 heading into the All-Star break, and they’re playing their best basketball of the season. Most impressive of all, they’ve done this without their defensive anchor.
The stars seem to have mastered their roles in the offense, particularly Jalen Brunson. The second unit is gelling and looks as dominant as it did during the Derrick Rose run a couple of years ago. Young players are showing growth, and everyone seems more comfortable in Thibodeau’s scheme.
I realize none of this pertains to the Hawks game in particular, but there’s not much challenge for a coach when his team leads by double-digits virtually the entire night. This dominant victory is the sum of a season’s worth of coaching through low points and trusting his scheme. Thibodeau gets a 3.5 out of 5 for the easy work that was a long time coming.
Closing Thoughts
I talked about stepping back to enjoy this last recap. The season’s final leg starts when everyone returns from the break, and the pressure will rise. But I’ve never felt more confident that the Knicks are prepared to handle it. This team is poised, and the best part is that there’s room to take another step.
There are clear areas where New York can become even better. RJ, Grimes, and IQ can all improve at knocking down open looks. Mitchell Robinson’s return should take the defense to an even higher level. Obi can expand his attack. Brunson and Randle are playing the best basketball of their careers, but improvements around them could propel their impacts further.
I’ll confess that I spent last night considering potential first-round matchups against either the Philadelphia 76ers or Cleveland Cavaliers. Maybe I’m jumping out the window, but I don’t hate either matchup over a seven game series. The Knicks have the big men to throw at Embiid and the backcourt to pick on Cleveland’s small perimeter defenders. I’m officially excited about the playoffs.
The All-Star Break is next. As I said previously, let’s enjoy it and support our guys. We’ll link up when the Knicks return to play the Wizards next week and discuss all the action. I’ll see you then, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out CP’s interview with The Legendary Chuck D to discuss Knicks and how hip-hop changed the world!
