The New York Knicks defeated the Charlotte Hornets 134-131 in overtime. Jalen Brunson emerged as the closer for the Knicks.
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The New York Knicks found themselves in their second overtime in four games, overcoming the Charlotte Hornets 134 to 131. Neither team played much defense, with the game feeling like a track meet. Even in half-court situations, ball handlers got into the paint with chances to score. The Knicks held the lead for most of the game but faded late, with the Hornets hanging around and even taking a fourth-quarter lead.
That’s when Jalen Brunson stepped up, making baskets or finding teammates until a 5-point deficit was a 3-point lead. The Hornets forced overtime, but New York held on for the win thanks to Brunson’s clutch play.
A championship-caliber opponent is up next, so it was essential to get this win. Let’s look at how the Knicks held on for their third straight win.
No question about it, Jalen Brunson is a difference-maker with the Knicks’ starters
Jalen Brunson: 27 PTS (10/15 FG, 2/5 3PT, 5/5 FT), 13 AST, 7 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 41 mins
Jalen Brunson did everything for the Knicks in this victory. He scored inside, thanks to his incredible footwork and ability to hit off-balance shots. When defenders stepped back, Brunson stepped into three-point shots. Some of the best moments for New York’s new point guard came in transition. His use of head fakes created windows to drive or weave dimes through defenders.
Brunson’s playmaking was incredible. He consistently found cutters from the perimeter and shooters while he was inside. He added in a number of defensive boards that he grabbed on the run to spark breaks. The only flaws in Brunson’s night came from defensive issues containing Dennis Smith Jr.
Jalen Brunson took over when the game felt like it might slip away. He hit big shot after big shot, then beat double teams with smooth passing. His teammates actively sought to put the ball in his hands. Everyone trusted Brunson to bring this game home, and he responded. That’s worth a 4.5 out of 5, only missing the first perfect score of the season thanks to some shoddy turnovers early, then defensive slip-ups late.
RJ Barrett: 22 PTS (9/21 FG, 0/5 3PT, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 8 REB, 1 BLK, 4 TO in 39 mins
It was a frustrating night as RJ Barrett forced the issue once again. On multiple occasions, Barrett drove into traffic and forced up shots while teammates were open along the perimeter. RJ couldn’t buy a three-pointer whether he was in rhythm or not, and he struggled to beat Dennis Smith Jr in the post, which further compounded the problems. In addition, he failed to get past big defenders or go over the small ones.
Barrett also picked up bad turnovers, particularly in the early portion of the action. But he capped his turnovers off with a giveaway late when the game was too close for comfort.
I also found RJ’s perimeter defense uninspiring. He gave up many backdoor cuts to Gordon Hayward, but this shouldn’t be a surprise since Barrett struggled to get through screens throughout these early games (and throughout his career). In addition, he didn’t apply pressure to make the ball handler uncomfortable when he managed to stay in front of his man.
A series of smart off-ball cuts salvaged the would-be franchise player’s night. Barrett was impossible to stop when he received the ball with momentum toward the basket. He also hit clutch free throws at the end of the game. But the numbers are better than his impact felt. Due to untimely turnovers, missed reads, and bad shot selection, RJ gets a 1.5 out of 5 in this one.
Evan Fournier: 14 PTS (6/11 FG, 2/6 3PT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 24 mins
Evan Fournier had his best offensive game of the season so far. He did a great job of mixing attempts from three with dribble penetration for floaters and pull-ups. His aggressive approach took advantage of the attention drawn by other scorers, leading to an efficient scoring night.
Fournier’s best offensive game coincided with his worst defensive performance so far. He fouled out in less than twenty-five minutes, and that includes multiple take fouls to stop fast breaks. But, of course, the new rule for those fouls rewards opposing teams with a free throw and the ball. That makes them especially egregious mistakes.
Overzealous fouls weren’t Fournier’s only problem on defense. He couldn’t stop anyone off the dribble. His rotations and closeouts weren’t much better. There’s no hiding Fournier on defense right now, dragging his performance rating down to 1.5 out of 5.
Julius Randle: 17 PTS (7/19 FG, 0/2 3PT, 3/4 FT), 2 AST, 6 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 40 mins
It was a tough night for Julius Randle, but he came up big in crunch time. For most of the game, Randle struggled against the athletic bigs of Charlotte. They gave him space but had enough size to absorb contact and still challenge his attempts at the rim. Unless his jumper can command respect, there will be nights like this.
During key possessions in this game, Randle trusted Jalen Brunson to run the offense and acted as a relief option. When the Hornets sent Plumee to trap Brunson, he’d swing the ball to Randle, who attacked PJ Washington in single coverage. This produced some memorable clutch finishes from New York’s big man.
Randle had an up-and-down defensive game. His rebounding was uncharacteristically light, although this game didn’t include many misses to grab. But, at the end of the day, he still managed some of the most critical baskets of the night. That’s enough for a 2.5 out of 5 for his impact.
Mitchell Robinson: 9 PTS (4/4 FG, 1/2 FT), 1 AST, 8 REB, 6 BLK in 37 mins
Mitchell Robinson’s defensive presence was massive in this win. The Hornets consistently beat the Knicks’ perimeter defenders to the rack. Robinson was always there to meet them, swatting shots or forcing them to give up the rock. The Blockness Monster lurking near the paint kept New York’s defense afloat.
Robinson’s offense consisted of his typically immovable interior positioning. He was always well-positioned to get the offensive board or receive a pass inside. We even caught a glimpse of a baby jumper out of Robinson from just a few feet further out.
But we’ll remember this performance for how Mitch played defense. His team was flat-out bad on that end, but the shot-blocker managed to create some stops. The defense looked much more effective when Reddish and Mitch paired their length and mobility in the late fourth quarter and overtime. That’s worth a 4 out of 5 from our defensive anchor.
Obi hits shots, and Reddish gets stops for the Knicks’ second unit
Immanuel Quickley: 11 PTS (3/6 FG, 2/3 3PT, 3/4 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 3 TO in 19 mins
Immanuel Quickley found his three-ball, getting two to fall after starting things off with a floater. He shifted to an off-ball role more than in the past few games, allowing Derrick Rose to handle more of the offense. That may have helped his jumper because IQ hit shots when he could set his feet while missing his off-balance pull-up attempts.
Quick’s problem became turnovers, starting with a miscommunication with Cam Reddish. He punctuated that with a pair of giveaways that seemed to spark the Hornets’ fourth-quarter momentum.
I like that Quickley didn’t spend so much time on the ball. By mixing up his work and letting other teammates build plays, he freed himself to get open without the rock. IQ receives a 2 out of 5 for finding some offensive success, but we’re still searching for the player we saw late last season.
Derrick Rose: 12 PTS (5/7 FG, 1/2 3PT, 1/1 FT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 12 mins
This performance felt much more like the Derrick Rose we’re used to than recent nights. Rose took more of the ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities from Immanuel Quickley. That led to more trips inside the paint for Rose and better looks for IQ.
Rose’s jumper looked crisp whenever he was left open. Defenders had to close him out, meaning he could explode past them to create. But his minutes fell short again, leaving him with an outsized impact for such a small amount of play. As a result, rose gets a 2.5 out of 5 for a second unit that became turnover prone without him.
Cam Reddish: 5 PTS (1/3 FG, 1/2 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 REB, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 25 mins
For most of this game, Cam Reddish was just okay. He didn’t force shots but didn’t move much off the ball to get more touches. He made good things happen within the flow of offense but could have been more involved.
Cam was jawing with Jalen McDaniels, and his defense slipped during that spell. But he got a second chance to show off his defense after Evan Fournier fouled out. His defense when the game hit crunch time was impeccable. Reddish got big stops, providing some of the best on-ball defense of the night when it mattered most.
That’s not enough to erase a bad fourth-quarter turnover or some of his passive play in the first three quarters. But the late-game effort from Reddish is enough to show us what he can become if he finds consistency. He clocks in at 2 out of 5, but his defense would translate to a more significant score if it stuck for all of regulation.
Obi Toppin: 9 PTS (3/6 FG, 3/4 3PT), 2 AST, 3 REB in 13 mins
I don’t mean it negatively when I tell you this was an odd performance for Obi Toppin. Toppin just never got much going in the paint or transition. That left his touches on the perimeter, but he still put them to good use.
After knocking down that three-pointer above, Toppin started to shoot with confidence. He would hit threes in both halves and add a few nice passes along the way. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for Tom Thibodeau to give Obi more time, even when Randle struggled offensively. The limited time leaves Obi’s performance feeling incomplete, with a 2.5 out of 5 for producing a lot in so little time.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 8 PTS (4/5 FG, 0/1 3PT), 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK in 16 mins
I wouldn’t say I like how Isaiah Hartenstein’s floater looks, but I can’t complain about the results. The big man had a workman-like 8 and 3 with some solid defense in a reasonably brief appearance. However, his stand-out moment came in the fourth when he hit a floater just inside the free-throw line.
The floater capped a nice night on offense. But Hartenstein’s solid play was overshadowed by Mitchell Robinson’s fantastic defense. That meant fewer minutes and a 2 out of 5 for Hartenstein, who did everything well but nothing outstanding.
Old habits and some well-drawn plays for Tom Thibodeau
It’s hard to argue with the results for a 3 and 1 team. But some of our concerns with Tom Thibodeau are peaking through the successful start. In this game, he relied heavily on his starters, staggering only to contend with the Hornets’ jumbo-sized line-ups. That meant he failed to find ample time for Obi Toppin or Derrick Rose, my highest-rated bench performers.
It’s tough to say what’s happening in both cases. Derrick Rose sees short minutes whether he plays well or not, which is fair for a vet returning from an injury. But what’s the excuse for Obi? The second unit was in the negatives for plus/minus, but I feel some of that had to do with how Thibs mixed and matched pieces.
On a brighter note, I love some of the plays that New York runs out of timeouts. There’s a lot of misdirection because so many scoring threats are available. IQ is usually a scorer, but he was setting back screens out of one particular timeout that saw Derrick Rose sink an open lay-up. Thibs gets a 2.5 out of 5, but his starters looked labored with so few breaks…that might haunt us against better opponents.
Closing Thoughts
I hate to rain on our parade, but this win was worrisome. The Hornets were missing multiple key players, yet the Knicks barely pulled this out. New York’s perimeter defense is a concern, but my only solution is for Grimes’ foot to heal. Someone has to contain players at the point of attack for the Knicks to survive against better competition.
The good news is that Jalen Brunson might be even better than advertised. Last season’s meltdowns often saw multiple players take turns attempting to right the ship. If no hot hands emerged, then the team was helpless. This time, everyone looked to Jalen Brunson.
I’m hoping that Barrett, Quickley, and Randle took note of how Brunson handled help defense. He didn’t dribble at the traffic but stepped back to create enough space to find an open teammate. Pulling defenders toward him created more space for teammates and windows to find them. That kept everyone composed and showed us that Jalen Brunson is poised to close games for New York.
But you have to get stops for a closer to be effective. New York will have to play better defense to keep Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks at bay. Their schedule is nightmarish for the next couple of weeks, so it’s time to make a statement or be forgotten. The big tests start on Friday night in Milwaukee, so we’ll get there as fast as we can, then rate and discuss the performances. 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 Knicks Weekly, where CP and Alex discuss what they saw from the previous week!
