The New York Knicks are on a three-game winning streak after taking down the Utah Jazz, 112 to 100.
Julius Randle started slow and New York struggled early. The Jazz knocked down three’s and kept the Knicks defense off balance with constant transition attacks. But the Knicks turned defense into offense in the third quarter, holding Utah to just 19 points and pulling ahead. A back-and-forth battle turned into a runaway victory when Austin Rivers dropped 14 straight points for the Knicks in clutch time.
This marks the Knicks fifth win in their past 6 games. Tom Thibodeau’s tight rotation is riding contributions from top to bottom on the run. Julius Randle is the consistent center piece for the offense and Mitchell Robinson continues to emerge as the key for a top ten defense. Against the Jazz, it was Austin Rivers turn to step up as the clutch piece. Rivers scored 14 consecutive points for the Knicks with less than five minutes to go and turned a neck-to-neck battle into a double-digit victory.
For years we’ve watched the New York Knicks find ways to snatch defeat from the claws of victory. But this season, they’ve been finding new ways to win on a nightly basis. Let’s check out the player performances.
Elfrid Payton: Aggression at the rim propelled Elfrid Payton to one of his best performances of the season so far. Payton had struggled inside against the Hawks and Trae Young took advantage. But the Knicks’ point guard wasn’t discouraged. Payton was successful all night by getting into the lane and taking floaters in space. When the defense drew close, he found his roll men. Everything was working but the jump shot.
Payton played a game high 42 minutes, finishing with 22 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds and steal. He shot 10/15 from the field, 0/2 from three and 2/2 from the free throw line. After some struggles with ball protection in prior performances, Payton only turned the rock over once. Payton’s third quarter might have been his best of the season. The point guard fed Julius Randle, but also took advantage of every scoring opportunity he got. Thibs rewarded that performance by riding Elfrid’s play through the entire second half, though a limitation did creep into view late.
Payton finishes this hyper efficient performance with a 3.5 out of 5. His struggles against the zone defense are what drop him down a peg from “excellent” range. In the first half, he was a part of the team’s struggles to get into a rhythm despite his own finishing. After an excellent third quarter, however, Payton found himself ceding ball handling duties to Austin Rivers. It was due to the Knicks needing a shooting threat to open up the floor. He still comes away with a great score for one of his best games of the season, but the jumper would have made it a home run.
Reggie Bullock: During the Knicks hot start, Reggie Bullock has been a streaky player in search of his rhythm. Defensive play has kept Bullock’s performances afloat despite his jumper being unreliable early in the season. This performance against the Jazz was exactly what the Knicks’ wing needed. He was still quiet in the first half, but scored from inside, midrange and three over the course of a strong second half. Reggie finally got his three pointers off in a tight fourth quarter, timely hooping.
Bullock put up 12 points, 7 rebounds and a steal in 30 minutes of game time. He shot 5/8 from the field and 2/3 from three. The Jazz limited three-point opportunities most of the time Rudy Gobert was on the floor, but Bullock attacked his closeouts off the dribble. It helped him get into a rhythm with some easier looks before the three-point opportunities came.
The 3 and D wing comes through with a 2.5 out of 5 for this performance. Both his and Barrett’s defense deserve mention for the night. The Jazz wings are difficult assignments for any opponent. The Knicks held them in check behind Bullock and Barrett’s efforts. That said, Bullock did all of his work in one half of the game and thus his score isn’t higher.
RJ Barrett: It was a night of struggles for RJ Barrett who missed the few long jumpers he tried and struggled against Utah’s interior defense. The sophomore’s game seemed out of rhythm, including a return of his free throw woes. But the youngster managed to impact the game with spirited defense and some important third quarter plays that included a transition dunk and an and-one.
Barrett concluded 33 minutes with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. He had 1 assist to 2 turnovers, not much playmaking in this one. The prospect made just 4/14 from the field, 0/3 from three and 1/3 for the free throw line. While Barrett didn’t make a three, he did knock down an 18-footer in the third quarter. That’s a shot he needs to utilize more often as it’s been reliable all year. The pull-up from midrange adds a bit of diversity to his off the dribble threat.
The struggles for Barrett leave him with a 2 out of 5. He salvages his otherwise tough night with strong second half of defense. A recent feature of Barrett’s game has been his ability to play the passing lanes when players drive and look for kick outs. Thibs’ guards can look like linebackers spying the quarterback in these situations and Barrett’s instinctive reads are great. There might be some raised eyebrows over the prospect riding the bench late, but the Knicks needed Rivers’ spacing and RJ had already battled for more than 30 minutes. It was a much-needed break from the scoring burden our 20-year old prospect had to shoulder on most nights.
Julius Randle: The Jazz put their annual DPOY candidate, Rudy Gobert, on Julius Randle for long stretches of the game. Gobert dared Randle to shoot, and the big man’s jumper wasn’t there for him. But as the game wore on, New York’s leader kept up a relentless attack and pieced together a strong performance despite some inefficiency. Tough shooting nights come with match-ups against the premier defensive big men in the NBA.
Randle spent 40 minutes collecting 30 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists with 5 turnovers. He shot 10/26 from the field, 0/5 from three and 10/12 from the free throw line. The three pointers weren’t the only signs of struggle in space, as Randle missed midrange jumpers as well. Later in the game, Randle dribbled into the gaps given and often posted up from those close positions. It was a clever adjustment that saw him draw free throws and pick up some easy baskets that the Knicks’ needed.
Even on a night of high volume and turnovers, Randle still pulls off a 4 out of 5. He’s officially the focus of every defense he faces, but is still leading the team in assists and putting up high scores. Randle was inefficient, but the attention he drew meant consistent openings for other players. Hot hands emerged after Randle forced Utah to seal off the inside from his dribble penetration. Julius Randle is playing like an all-star right now.
Mitchell Robinson: The New York Knicks’ defense is playing at an elite level and they owe a lot of that to Mitchell Robinson’s interior defense. The big man wasn’t just dealing with Rudy Gobert’s physicality inside, but also Mike Conley’s craftiness and Donovan Mitchell’s athleticism. While Gobert got the better of the first half, Robinson was a force in the second half and keyed the defense behind his steals and blocks. We even got to see some of the Knicks’ shot blocker’s sense of humor at one point, as he ducked for cover after Gobert air balled a free throw.
Robinson played 42 minutes and finished with 9 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks and 3 turnovers. He managed 40+ minutes and 6 stocks while only picking up 2 fouls on the night, one an offensive foul. The blocks don’t begin to convey how many shots were altered by Mitch in this one. Mitch changed shots at the rim and closed out on some jumpers as well. If the ball went up anywhere in Robinson’s vicinity, he was going to challenge it. He was aggressive without fouling.
Mitch gets his first 4 out of 5 on the season for turning in a game changing defensive performance. The Knicks’ offense got going off transition opportunities and pace in the third quarter, a lot of those plays started with Robinson. This wasn’t just from steals and blocks either. Mitch started to meet Gobert’s physicality with his own and box out to win some defensive rebounding battles. New York’s young big man just went head-to-head with an elite NBA big without fading.
Austin Rivers: As soon as he entered the game, Austin Rivers was making timely buckets. If the Knicks needed a shot to stop Utah’s momentum, Rivers was a reliable bet to make it. It was as if the Knicks’ new vet had an answer for whatever the Jazz did. Rivers took single coverage and switches to the rim. When the defense packed the paint; he knocked down three pointers. It all came to a head with around five minutes left in a tie game. Rivers completely took over, knocking down jumper after jumper for 14 consecutive points for New York including a late shot clock floater and a three ball over Utah’s giant Gobert.
New York’s newcomer played 32 minutes and managed 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals with just one turnover. Rivers shot like a player who spent his day off in the practice facility, making 9/14 from the field and a ridiculous 5/7 from three. It wasn’t just a brilliant offensive performance either. Rivers on-ball pressure against Conley led the Jazz point guard to multiple turnovers. While the Knicks’ guard tallied 2 steals, his defense impacted a multitude of other plays.
The late game run and consistent scoring land Austin Rivers a 4.5 out of 5. He was the best defender at the point of attack all night, complimenting his brilliant offensive night. While the starters combined to go 2/13 from three, Rivers’ 5/7 represents almost the entire three-point threat for New York. The quick impact for the veteran guard is even more impressive because he spent camp and preseason injured. The best may be yet to come for Doc Rivers’ son. Meanwhile, he’s on one of the best value contracts in the entire league. Rivers has embraced New York and he’ll already be a fan favorite when the fans return to the Garden again.
Kevin Knox: Another burst of scoring helped Kevin Knox shine in the first half while he collected a defensive highlight in his second half minutes. Knox scored 7 points in the second quarter, keeping the Knicks alive when the Jazz looked to pull away. New York’s young wing had a picture-perfect shot profile; he sandwiched a three pointer between a pair of dunks. Knox finished with power inside and forced the Jazz to respect his shot as soon as they gave him a bit of space. He provided a quick boost off the bench in limited time.
Knox played 16 minutes and contributed 7 points, 1 rebound and 1 block. He shot 3/3 from the field, making his only three-point attempt. The block came late in the third quarter, right as the Knicks were looking to take the lead. Mike Conley got inside for what would have been an easy finish without Kev’s presence. The young wing made a second effort to keep his block inbounds and spark a go-ahead fast break. He’s not a lockdown defender, but the strides he’s made on that side of the ball are yet another testament to the coaching staff and his own offseason efforts.
Knox got limited time for his impact, but in his brief stints on the floor there were stand out plays. That lands him a solid 2.5 out of 5. The confidence this kid is exuding is something to witness after last year’s regression. The young wing is playing with purpose and looks comfortable in his role. It’s a night and day comparison with the confusion we saw last year. Best of all, we’re seeing Knox play with a much better motor this season. It’s incredible what a solid, consistent role can do for a young play who is trying to find his way.
Immanuel Quickley: Immanuel Quickley only got 6 minutes in this game, all in the first half. His benching in the second half didn’t seem like a punishment. Rivers and Payton were just the hot hands that Thibs rode. In his short stint, Quickley had a pair of assists including an alley-oop to Knox after stealing a pass. The short time isn’t enough to warrant a performance score, but I’m sure the promising rookie will get plenty of opportunity to show us more. He was the hero of the last game, so no stress over short minutes in this game. We can worry about that if it becomes a pattern, for now let’s enjoy the win.
Tom Thibodeau: The fight that these New York Knicks exude is an undeniable mark of the coaching staff. We saw a lot of this same personnel, including the entire starting line-up, falter as soon as they faced adversity last season. Thibodeau’s Knicks are coming off back-to-back wins in which they trailed by double digits and clawed their way to a win. It feels like Thibs is pulling all the right triggers during New York’s three game win streak.
Look no further than Thibodeau sticking with Austin Rivers over RJ Barrett down the stretch for a risky decision that paid off. The Knicks are a rebuilding team and Barrett is their star prospect, but the Jazz were focusing their defense inside and New York needed a shooter. Austin Rivers’ three-point barrage doesn’t happen if Thibs sticks to the script. That rotation choice turned a tie game into a 12-point victory inside of five minutes flat.
Thibs nets a 3.5 out of 5 for keeping this crew hungry despite their early struggles. As much as I recognize that Quickley’s lack of minutes was more a reward to veterans that played well, I’m still taking half a point for it. Risky as it is, I want to see that rookie get clutch minutes every chance and Payton was forced to play off-ball anyway. That’s honestly a minor quibble though, something I’d be mad about only if the team had lost. As long as the decisions keep coming up roses and Knicks continue to look motivated; I’ll keep celebrating like our coaching savior has arrived.
Closing Thoughts: If there was ever a day that required some escapism, yesterday was it. The riot in the capital dominated my television, social media and conversations with friends. It’s strange how sports can transcend dark moments and give us a bit of harmony. There’s a unity in fandom that can subvert real world stress and give us some respite. While division ruled the day, a simple game with two baskets and a ball helped me find a bit of community and plenty of smiles.
For the Knicks, last night was a continuation of their journey in the right direction. Three games ago, Austin Rivers posted on Instagram what was essentially a message of “trust the process, have faith in us, we’re working.” Since then, the Knicks have given their fans every reason to believe that message. There’s visible growth and comradery throughout this roster, whether it’s the guys on the court or players like Theo Pinson and Obi Toppin celebrating from the sidelines. The team looks united and the future feels bright for the New York Knicks. They couldn’t have picked a better time to inject some light into the fanbase’s days. We all could use the optimism.
I’ll look forward to heated debates about which players should be the 9th and 10th man in the rotation. I’m ready to laugh at fan debates and sermons from J-Boogie. I’m just excited to watch more Knicks basketball with all of you. We have a fun team to watch and an experience to share, let’s enjoy it!
CP and J. Ellis had another monster show last night after the win vs. the Jazz. Check it out below.
