The New York Knicks were locked in a dogfight but came away as the victors over the Indiana Pacers 110 to 107.
The Pacers got off to an early lead, but the Knicks rode big contributions from star players to close that gap by half-time. The game had a bit of playoff intensity; physicality was pervasive in nearly every possession.
Julius Randle was brilliant yet again, and RJ Barrett continues to be a Pacer killer. Derrick Rose still looks great with the starters, and the bench gave muted but valuable contributions. This one leans heavily on starting contributions, but let’s see what each player added.
Knicks starters find an extra gear and pull off the win
Derrick Rose: Almost literally, Derrick Rose played brilliantly until his legs gave out. The former MVP’s range and athleticism made him a nightmare in the two-man game with Julius Randle. When Rose had space, he’d take a floater or pull-up jumper and do damage. If the defense crowded him, then Rose was feeding cutters with bounce passes or shooters with kick-outs. As the game wore on, you could see Rose’s legs start to go. He had some ugly turnovers late, and New York closed with RJ Barrett taking over the ball-handling duties.
D. Rose put up 17 points, 11 assists, 1 rebound, 4 steals, and 4 turnovers over the course of 38 minutes. He shot 6/11 from the field, 1/3 from three, and 4/4 from the free-throw line. The turnovers jumped during a fourth-quarter struggle session that I’m willing to blame on tired legs. TJ Mcconnell is a pesky defender, and 40 consistent minutes is a difficult task for Rose at this stage of his career. Rose all but made up for those with his own forced turnovers. He anticipates the pass well, using his explosiveness to close gaps rapidly. Rose closed both halves by deflecting passes, and each time it led to important scores for New York.
The easiest way to examine Derrick Rose’s impact as a starter is to look at the handful of easy buckets that Julius Randle has picked up in the past couple of games. Randle is getting legitimate isolations and space for what feels like the first time all year. Rose has a knack for drawing defenders and feeding the right player, often that’s Julius. I’d also like every reader to pay attention to how well our form Bull utilizes the bounce pass in the lane. Rose grabs a 3.5 out of 5 for the double-double and some of the best playmaking we’ve seen at lead guard.
Reggie Bullock: The Pacers tried to force Reggie Bullock to do more than he’s used to. The strategy led to some bizarre possessions, like a third-quarter turnover in which Bullock and Nerlens Noel passed the ball back and forth until the shot clock expired. But Bullock also got more chances to work off the dribble and inside the arc, finally finding some success in those situations. Overall, his hesitance stood out more than his successes, but he didn’t hurt the team as much as he frustrated fans who wished he would pull the trigger.
After 27 minutes, Bullock tallied 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 turnover. He shot 4/11 from the field and 1/4 from three. We will forever dog players that score fewer points than field goals attempted. Bullock let closeouts bother him enough to pass up plenty of open threes. Even Alan Hahn was tweeting about it. Defenders have to worry about being punished for cheating off their man, but Reggie didn’t offer enough threat to earn that respect.
Unfortunately, there’s not much that sticks out from Bullock’s performance beyond the hesitance. Even his defensive play was shoddy. There are no excuses for getting torched by Doug McDermott on countless cuts and curls. Reggie’s got to be better than he was against Indy. His impact score is a 1.5 out of 5.
RJ Barrett: Whatever Indiana did to RJ Barrett, it should apologize and beg for mercy. Barrett once again torched the Pacers with jumpers and forays inside. Myles Turner’s blocks didn’t discourage RJ. Late in the game, RJ’s re-entry on the floor sparked the Knicks’ successful closeout. Barrett’s three-point shooting was especially crucial, with well-timed makes all night, including the fourth. He missed two free throws that could have sealed the win, but it’s forgivable since he was the only reason the Knicks had that chance in the first place…also, they won. If they’d lost, then my tune might change.
The Maple Mamba rocked for 34 minutes and clocked 24 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 turnovers. He shot 8/17 from the field, 4/6 from three, and 4/7 from the free-throw line. RJ’s work with screens is an even greater highlight than his three-point barrage. Indiana boasts the league’s leading shot-blocker and a physical defensive style. Barrett showed patience with defenders on his hip and read the floor for finishes inside or nifty kick-out passes. Interestingly, he seems to have borrowed IQ’s speed change once he beats his man, and Rose’s baseline reads when defenders collapse. He’s absorbing from other players’ successes.
Even the gaudy numbers don’t do justice to Barrett’s contribution. He was the man to close this game out with five minutes left or so. Before that, he made timely buckets whenever the Knicks needed momentum. RJ had a putback dunk that ought to make some highlights. His three-ball has been crisp in the new starting unit’s spacing as well. Barrett nets a 4 out of 5 for giving the Garden a Mariano Rivera impression.
Julius Randle: At this point, Julius Randle’s brilliance is common. The big man stepped into an All-Star match-up and absolutely won the duel. He was a forceful scorer, creative passer, and game defender. Randle played great defense in containing Domantas Sabonis. On the opposite end, no one could contain Randle. It’s amazing to watch him strike a balance between scoring for himself and creating for others, all while being the focus of every defense.
It took 42 minutes for the big man from Kentucky to seal the game with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 5 turnovers. He shot 12/22 from the field, 2/5 from three, and 2/2 from the free-throw line. Randle turned steals into transition dunks with multiple coast-to-coast baskets. He also ate up Jakarr Sampson when Indiana tried to get Sabonis a breather. Randle puts his opponents under constant pressure. He’s relentless and effective.
The best part about Randle’s night is that the stat-line hides his best contribution. With Mitchell Robinson out and Taj Gibson quickly injured, the Knicks needed a big man to step up and help Noel defensively. Randle took a match-up with Domantas Sabonis and thrived. He was too strong for post-ups and stayed mentally locked in while Sabonis argued with refs. That’s all while adding 28, 10, and 6 to the offense. Randle gets a 5 out of 5 for dominating the match-up with an all-star.
Nerlens Noel: The Knicks have asked Nerlens Noel to step up since Mitchell Robinson broke his hand. When Taj Gibson got hurt against Indiana, they needed even more from Noel. The shot blocker rose to the occasion yet again. He cut early foul trouble, stayed on the floor almost indefinitely, and made key defensive plays. Noel was the only center Tom Thibodeau had and made sure to play like the only center Thibodeau would need.
The defensive C spent 41 long minutes out there, adding 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and 1 turnover. He shot 3/4 from the field and 2/2 from the line. Noel’s perfect free throw shooting was especially crucial. The Knicks were up by 1 point with just over a minute to go; he stole the ball and drew a foul for the two clutch shots on the charity stripe. That’s a big-time play after 40 minutes of hard work, and it’s just another example of the way Noel every minute he’s out there.
I’m giving another player the “eye test means more than the stat-line” treatment with this one. Noel gets a 3.5 out of 5 for a heart-filled effort against the Pacers. He has obvious limitations but makes up for them with old-fashioned hard work. We might miss Robinson’s agility at times when guys like Doug McDermott turn simple cuts into easy lay-ups, but we’ll also marvel at Noel blocking dunks if he’s anywhere near the rim. Noel deserves nothing but respect for his recent work.
New York’s bench contributes in what little time they get
Immanuel Quickley: It looked like another hot night for Immanuel Quickley as he knocked down his three-pointers from the moment he saw the floor. IQ wasn’t the absolute wrecking ball from Sacramento, but he added buckets if Indy gave him even an inch. The rookie drew a four-point play in the fourth, and then…well, things got a bit ugly. Quickley had two bad turnovers after his best play of the game, and Tom Thibodeau had a quick hook in the close and crucial game.
With his night cut short, Quickley only rocked for 13 minutes. He finished the game with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers while shooting 3/6 from the field, 3/4 from three, and 1/1 from the free-throw line. IQ is near mastery at putting points on the board. He’s a lights-out shooter that draws fouls and comes equipped with a quality floater to boot. But his passing and ball-handling are works in progress. TJ Mcconnell stepped up the ball pressure late, and Quickley made consecutive errors. I’d have liked to see the rookie get a chance to respond out of the timeout, but I understood the logic behind pulling him.
IQ only got 13 minutes to work. No one below 15 minutes gets a performance score because they didn’t get enough minutes to truly realize an impact. That said, Quickley was a scoring spark even with the limited time. I hope we’ll see a lot more of him against Detroit. His legs ought to be plenty rested.
Frank Ntilikina: Despite only playing 11 minutes, Frank Ntilikina managed to bring the hive to life with a handful of key plays. He shot a three-pointer without any hesitation in the first half, then he iced the game with a key steal and two free throws that put the Knicks up by four in the final three seconds of action.
It’s nice to see that Frank already worked himself into being the defensive substitution in closing minutes. It was doubly nice to see him make a play and hit his freebies. The Knicks have enough offensive firepower that Frank’s defense and IQ stands to add plenty of value.
Alec Burks: After his fantastic performance against the Kings, Alec Burks fell back to Earth with the Pacers. He wasn’t bad by any means, but he was quiet. The scorer didn’t find many opportunities to launch, chased off the line all night. He had some nice dimes though, adding a turn-around jumper in the fourth quarter.
Burks played 21 minutes and managed 5 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, and 1 turnover. He shot 2/5 from the field and 0/1 from three. The Knicks typical floor spacers were disappointments, saved by young counterparts in IQ and RJ. Burks does have a more dynamic scoring punch, which allows him to contribute even chased off the line. He made some nice passes, and even his turnover came from trying to create.
Alec Burks is falling into the “streaky player” mold. He’s getting around 20 minutes per night, and if he hits a shot, then the Knicks go back to him to see if he heats up. If he never catches fire, we’re left with nights like Indiana. Burks saw sixth-man minutes while other bench players proved more efficient and effective as scorers. He gets a 1.5 out of 5 for the lackluster night.
Obi Toppin: With just 6 minutes of action, we barely got a chance to see Obi Toppin in action. The rookie did make his way to the line for a pair of points, but there was hardly anything to evaluate here. Hopefully, he sees extended time in Detroit. I’m sure Julius Randle could use the breather.
Taj Gibson: Taj Gibson rolled his ankle after just 4 minutes of action and never returned, get well soon Taj.
Kevin Knox: We had a Kevin Knox sighting at the end of the first half. He was on the floor for just 2 minutes, and I can’t even remember him touching the ball. But he left with a +8 on the +/- because he was part of a small-ball all-spacing line-up. We can’t say much after 2 minutes, but any time the Knicks offense explodes even briefly…I’m making a note of it.
The results are hard to argue with for Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks
Tom Thibodeau: The Knicks won by 3 points, and I can’t possibly be mad at Tom Thibodeau. Am I happy that the starters played huge minutes in the first night of a back-to-back? Of course not. But Thibodeau guaranteed a split here and did so despite losing another big man early in the game. I think Thibs put too many minutes on Rose unfairly, but I get trusting vets in such a playoff atmosphere. The quick hook for IQ was frustrating, but it was followed by RJ and Frank getting opportunities in the clutch.
It could be wishful thinking, but I think Thibs is preparing his youth rather than showing a lack of faith. We could linger on the Rose for IQ substitution in the fourth quarter, but that would overlook that the ball was in RJ’s hands for most possessions to close. RJ’s poise in the clutch was tremendous right up until the free throw debacle. That bit was followed by another young player, Frank Ntilikina, getting a chance to make a play and ice the game. Thibodeau may be more patient than we like, but there’s a method to his mayhem.
So quick hooks for youth and too much faith in veteran wings like Bullock and Burks can only cause so much frustration when the Knicks pull out the win. Thibs got too many quality contributions for me to hold it against him. Every basket counted in this dog fight, and the Knicks refusing to back down is a testament to their coach once again. Thibodeau gets a 3 out of 5 on the night.
Closing Thoughts
The New York Knicks are finally a .500 team again. They’ve got to win one more before the Allstar break to hit the halfway mark of this season as a .500 team. That might not sound big outside of our fan community, but it’s bigger than a. Billboard in Time’s Square for us. This team was supposed to be a laughing stock, projected to have the worst record in the league. We haven’t sniffed the playoffs in half a decade; now the Knicks are flirting with home-court advantage.
The Knicks are for real; that question has been answered. They compete nightly, and their star player is recognized league-wide as an All-Star. A culture has clearly been established. Players are patient for opportunities and ready when those chances come. I’ve seen many a Knicks team fade when the going gets tough, but these guys fight back. The new questions are “can the Knicks stay healthy” and “how far can they climb if they do?”
We’ll have to see if scrappy play and a “next man up” approach can help the Knicks overcome tired legs against Detroit. The bench is plenty rested, and the Pistons are a bad team. But Dennis Smith Jr ought to show up with a chip on his shoulder, and Tom Thibodeau might not break his rotation enough to avoid the tired legs factor. But it’s gonna be a lot of fun to watch regardless – we’re on the verge of breaking .500, the Garden’s energy is undeniable, and we’ll be entering the second half of the season in the heart of the playoff race. Stay tuned to knicksfantv.com for the latest Knicks news and rumors throughout the season and as the trade deadline approaches!
