The New York Knicks fall to the Milwaukee Bucks 103-109. The Knicks had this game in their grasp but would fall short once again.
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The New York Knicks lost another close game to the Milwaukee Bucks 103 to 109. New York’s jumpers failed them, but their defense kept things tight. The Knicks played tough and physical basketball, winning the rebound battle thanks to a Herculean effort from Mitchell Robinson. But with the game hanging on each possession in the final minute, New York’s execution failed.
The Knicks have been tied or held the lead in the final minutes of the past three home games, only to lose. Those were three chances to claim victory over high-caliber opponents that they’ve blown. But the tight games are a step above the blowout losses they suffered early in the season. So let’s look at how the Knicks came close tonight and how they might get over the hump next time.
A big night for New York’s most recent re-signees
Jalen Brunson: 17 PTS (8/22 FG, 0/4 3PT, 1/4 FT), 5 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 34 mins
Jalen Brunson tweaked his ankle on a shot attempt early in the first quarter and then hobbled into the locker room. Fortunately, he returned to play, but he obviously wasn’t himself because he struggled to get into his usual spots and shot the ball poorly — leading to uncharacteristically low efficiency.
However, Brunson deserves some credit for gutting things out. He made some essential fourth-quarter baskets and earned a trip to the line with the Knicks down 1 in the final minute. But he only made one of those free throws and deferred to RJ Barrett’s hot hand on the game-deciding play that followed shortly after that.
Brunson still put together a solid performance. He tagged each STOCK category (steals and blocks) and added 5 assists and rebounds each. But the offense was far more stagnant than usual, leading to many late shot-clock attempts. Brunson gets a 2.5 out of 5 for fighting through an injury.
Quentin Grimes: 7 PTS (3/7 FG, 1/4 3PT), 5 REB in 33 mins
Quentin Grimes’ night might seem quiet based on his stat line. He missed his looks from three and failed to tally a single assist, steal, or block. But Grimes was better than the numbers suggest. He still got inside the defense for a couple of nice finishes, and his passes led to fouls instead of dunks.
Grimes’ defensive battle with Jrue Holiday was fun to watch. Holiday is crafty and strong, giving Grimes fits all night. But the youngster also forced plenty of hard looks out of the highly talented Bucks point guard. He also grabbed some important defensive boards in traffic.
This back-to-back makes me wonder how much strength training would add to Grimes’ outstanding defensive value. He failed to produce much on the boxscore, but his impact was genuinely good. Nevertheless, he earns his 2.5 out of 5, and the jumper continues to be the missing link for higher impact scores.
RJ Barrett: 26 PTS (8/15 FG, 2/4 3PT, 8/9 FT), 3 AST, 2 REB, 3 TO in 33 mins
RJ Barrett played solid basketball for about 47 minutes of action. I mentioned more patience, selective driving, and quicker passing from RJ against Detroit. That approach translated to efficient scoring, trips to the line, and a team-high 26 points. Despite New York’s best efforts, they don’t hang with the Bucks without RJ.
But Barrett’s night was marred in the final minute of the game. With the game tied in that last minute, Barrett went under a screen and allowed Grayson Allen to hit a three-pointer. He attempted to respond by forcing a three up that bricked, and New York never had another chance to tie. Those two poor decisions will likely be the most memorable part of his game to most fans.
RJ’s two blunders are unfortunate because he was excellent. Sadly, Barrett’s co-stars didn’t have their A-games, so he shouldered a significant offensive load than usual. On a typical night, Jalen Brunson would set up the final look rather than Barrett being forced to create his shot. As a result, Barrett earns a 3.5 out of 5, which would be a 4 or higher with better decision-making in the clutch.
Julius Randle: 18 PTS (8/23 FG, 1/7 3PT, 1/1 FT), 5 AST, 8 REB, 1 TO in 39 mins
Julius Randle’s shooting numbers might suggest that he was shot-happy. But I think that’s partially due to Brunson being hurt, which forced Randle to create for himself more often. As a result, Randle tried to carry Detroit’s success back to New York and missed a bunch of jumpers without getting inside or to the free-throw line enough.
Randle was mindful of his turnovers and looked for teammates to pass to. But his reads took long, causing plays to develop slowly and creating multiple late shot-clock situations. I give him an “A” for effort and a “C” for execution. But that is a massive step up from last season when he would force the issue and lose his head.
Randle stepped up late, with some big rebounds and essential finishes. I’m not as upset with his offense as 8 for 23 from the field would typically make me. I am growing frustrated with his defensive play, though, which especially stood out when he paired with Hartenstein. Randle gets a 2 out of 5, but I’d have given him a neutral score with a bit more defensive effort.
Mitchell Robinson: 15 PTS (7/9 FG, 1/2 FT), 20 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK in 33 mins
Mitchell Robinson bullied everybody, including Giannis and Brook Lopez. With New York shooting the ball poorly, Robinson became its most important player thanks to his monstrous effort on the offensive boards. Mitch grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, and his team needed every one of those second chances.
Don’t let that one measly block fool you because Blockinson was big on the defensive side. It was always apparent when Robinson rested because the Bucks’ interior scoring would begin to take off. His presence changed Milwaukee’s approach, and he did that without picking up the fouls that have bugged him for most of the season.
Robinson’s fifteen points are a nice touch. I’ve mentioned that his teammates have found him more often, but Robinson earned most of his points through hard work in this matchup. He did miss a free throw in the final minute but got the rebound to give New York a chance at the lead. Robinson earned a 4.5 out of 5 for his outstanding performance.
Short minutes and light production from the Knicks’ second-unit
Derrick Rose: 4 PTS (2/6 FG), 1 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL in 11 mins
Derrick Rose was the first guard off the bench but didn’t play much. That’s bizarre, considering Jalen Brunson’s ankle issue and ensuing struggles from the field. But it’s also why I questioned Tom Thibodeau’s decision to play Rose for 25 minutes in a 30-point blowout the night before.
Rose didn’t play well in his 11 minutes. He got shots off but missed most of them. His game came in brief flashes rather than stacking into a consistent attack. But he didn’t have enough time to get much rhythm. So I’ll give him an incomplete for his impact score.
Immanuel Quickley: 4 PTS (2/9 FG, 0/5 3PT), 2 AST, 6 REB in 18 mins
Immanuel Quickley failed to carry his hot offensive streak into the Bucks game. He missed all 5 of his attempts from three (most of his shots were clean looks). The Bucks’ quality defense and length also kept Quickley out of the paint, which hindered his interior scoring and playmaking.
IQ carried his impact with defensive play and rebounding. Julius Randle went after him for a defensive mishap, which was comedically ironic (New York’s worst culprit on defense was blaming their most consistent defender visibly). But don’t let Randle’s behavior fool you. IQ was solid on defense.
That doesn’t mean IQ gets a passing grade, though. His offense has to become more consistent, especially his jumper. The third-year player could take a leap if his jumper became reliable on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, Quickley receives a 1.5 out of 5 in this loss.
Cam Reddish: 3 PTS (1/1 FG, 1/2 FT), 1 AST, 1 TO in 14 mins
It’s tough to blame Cam Reddish for quiet box scores after his role has changed post-groin injury. He’s not forcing the issue or compiling bad plays. Cam flashes his skillset when he gets touches in the right spots, but those opportunities are few and far between.
Reddish continues to play strong defense, despite his reduced role. But he’ll need more offensive production to convince Thibodeau for longer stints. Also, I’d love to see Cam adopt Grimes’ constant off-ball motion because Cam is great whenever he gets the ball with momentum toward the paint.
Cam gets a 1.5 out of 5 for the quiet night and few opportunities to produce much of anything.
Obi Toppin: 7 PTS (2/5 FG, 2/5 3PT, 1/2 FT), 3 REB, 1 TO in 14 mins
Obi Toppin’s night was strange. The Knicks didn’t get much creativity out of their lead ball handlers, and poor shooting left little space for slashers. That meant all Toppin’s attempts were three-point shots, and he was respectable at range. But he needs to find more ways to score than waiting outside or hoping for others to create for him.
Obi’s game lacked impact anywhere else. He grabbed a few rebounds and boxed out a bit, but it was nothing to brag about. Toppin didn’t pick up an assist, and I’m not sure he ever attacked the defense off the dribble.
That leaves us with a disappointing night for Obi. Randle was struggling, so there was a chance to steal minutes and opportunities. But Toppin was left waiting on the perimeter for passes that rarely found him. So Obi gets a 2 out of 5 for his low productivity.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 5 REB, 1 BLK in 10 mins
I could have warned Tom Thibodeau that Isaiah Hartenstein’s foot speed would hurt the defense against Milwaukee. The Bucks drive a lot, with smart players that know how to finish. Hart paired with Randle on the floor, and they permitted lay-ups with wide open lanes to the basket (very frustrating to witness).
Hart did get a few touches away from the basket, where he could take a dribble and try to create. But there weren’t enough minutes or chances for him to make up for the standout defensive lapses. His 5 rebounds in 10 minutes is a nice number, but that’s all he can hang his hat on.
Hart gets an incomplete and lingering camera shot of Jericho Sims waiting for the chance to steal that backup role.
Close is not enough for Tom Thibodeau
It’s becoming a chicken or egg conundrum for me with Tom Thibodeau. I should probably praise him for keeping the Knicks competitive in their recent action against the Bucks, Grizzlies, and Blazers. But they lost all three of those games at the wire. He can’t make free throws or decisions for his players late, but I’m still frustrated.
Thibs makes decisions that always leave me wondering about his plan. Why was Derrick Rose playing heavy minutes against a weak Detroit team with this important matchup a day later? How do the Knicks enter the final thirty seconds of a close game with two timeouts and still fail to execute in the most important play of the game?
There are ways to rationalize Thibs’ choices. But the Knicks are two games under .500 with three losses in a row that came down to one possession. Close isn’t enough for this team anymore. Thibodeau gets a 2 out of 5 because his defense finally showed up, at least.
Closing Thoughts
Don’t take my head off for saying this, but this season feels oddly similar to two years ago to me. I remember being frustrated early because New York was competing but couldn’t finish wins. I jockeyed between “blow this mess up to tank” and “I appreciate the effort, but this still sucks” mindsets. Then the Knicks traded for Derrick Rose and took off to the tune of home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
This team is making a similar case as they continually fight and keep up with quality opponents, only to fall just short. I wonder if a trade could help fix some of the issues with roster compatibility and push this team up a notch.
New York’s office doesn’t want to tank, and I think a lot of other front offices will show more hunger to land a Scoot Henderson, a Victor Wembanyama, or one of the Thompson twins. Talented players might become available in the next month or two, and the Knicks might convince Leon Rose that they’re a player away from turning close losses into wins.
For now, we’ll just watch and see how the current roster develops. The Dallas Mavericks are next in a matinee on Saturday. Let’s see if New York can find consistency and get back in the win column. I’ll see you after the game for another recap, 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 the analysis and fan reactions from when the Knicks played the Detroit Pistons!
