The New York Knicks hold on to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 117-114. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle led the way.
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The New York Knicks barely hung on to a lead late, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 117 to 114. New York started strong, leaving the first quarter with a 10-point lead thanks to strong starts from Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. But San Antonio began chipping away at lead whenever their second unit took the floor.
New York protected its late lead despite another night of poor free-throw shooting. They isolated Brunson frequently, which produced just enough points for the team to hang on. This wasn’t the prettiest victory, but a win is a win; this makes three wins in a row. So let’s take a closer look to see how everyone played.
A gem from Jalen Brunson leading the Knicks’ starters
Jalen Brunson: 38 PTS (17/27 FG, 3/7 3PT, 1/3 FT), 6 AST, 7 REB, 4 TO in 40 mins
Jalen Brunson started the game on fire and never let up. He sliced through the Spurs’ defense, with none of their vaunted defenders able to keep up with him. Brunson put Jeremy Sochan in a blender twice early, then made Tre Jones fall in the third quarter. When players gave the point guard space, he hit jumpers from long to midrange.
Brunson’s dominance led to New York isolating him during the last few minutes of action. He responded with a pair of clutch midrange shots and picked out Grimes for a three. His playmaking never slipped despite all the scoring he provided. I would like a more diverse approach to crunch time, but Brunson’s clutch play is impossible to complain about.
I’ve focused on scoring thanks to Brunson’s career night. But he also chipped in strong rebounding while Mitchell Robinson dealt with foul trouble. Brunson has a knack for providing whatever the team needs at any moment, the mark of a winning player. New York’s prized free agent acquisition earns a 4.5 out of 5, losing half a point to turnovers. But regardless, he proved his value once again.
Immanuel Quickley: 15 PTS (6/13 FG, 1/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 5 AST, 8 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 44 mins
Thanks to his recent dominance, I felt like Immanuel Quickley was having a quiet night. But he methodically added an efficient 15 points, including a pair of baskets to jumpstart the fourth-quarter offense. IQ’s missed three-point attempts were the only part of his game that limited his night. Nevertheless, he flashed a pull-up jumper from midrange, deepening his bag of scoring tools.
Quickley added tertiary support in crucial areas as well. He was the second-leading contributor in assists and on the boards for the night. The Knicks’ offense stagnated at times, but IQ used his touches to help with ball movement. On top of that, since the team lost one of their rebounding machines to foul trouble for most of the night, IQ also chipped in 8 rebounds.
I’ve said this is the best stretch of basketball in Immanuel Quickley’s career. This game continues that trend even without a flashy scoring total. His impressive box score and continued fantastic defense make him one of New York’s best two-way players. Quickley gets a 4 out of 5 for his contributions across the board.
Quentin Grimes: 14 PTS (5/8 FG, 3/5 3PT, 1/2 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL in 36 mins
Quentin Grimes turned 8 attempts into 14 points thanks to solid shooting. He knocked down a go-ahead three with 4 minutes left in action. I’d argue that Grimes didn’t get enough touches to create for himself in this one. Most of the sophomore’s production came from brilliant cuts off the ball and catch-and-shoot firing.
At least once per game, he makes this assist.
Grimes turned his touches into production, but they were limited. With his lone assist, he still showed off his knack for finding dunkers off drives. I’d have liked to see him get after more rebounds, but the Knicks’ backcourt took most of those anyway.
Grimes’ defense shined on the final play of the action. Keldon Johnson caught the ball with just enough time to take a three, but Grimes’ close-out forced Johnson to wait for a split-second and miss his window to shoot. New York’s promising prospect did everything well with few mistakes on the night; he deserved more looks than he got. Grimes adds a 3 out of 5 for his impact grade.
Julius Randle: 25 PTS (9/26 FG, 1/8 3PT, 6/11 FT), 3 AST, 13 REB, 3 STL, 4 BLK, 5 TO in 41 mins
Julius Randle didn’t have his recent scoring touch. He couldn’t buy a three-pointer and missed 5 free throws throughout the action. As a result, Randle’s 25 points were laboriously earned with more field goal attempts than points and more turnovers than assists. But he still added a necessary scoring punch to the win.
Randle shined, despite poor efficiency, thanks to his hard work and hustle. Three of his blocks came in transition situations, including a beautiful chase-down block after a steal. He sprinted into passing lanes, deflecting a couple of passes out of bounds to go with his 3 steals. The big man actively worked to make up for any mistakes he made.
This is how you win over a Garden crowd!
This marks a dip in Randle’s performance, but can anybody blame him? He hadn’t scored fewer than 28 points in 7 games. His efficiency has slipped in the past two games, though, starting with his three’s not falling. If he cools off from long range, I’m hoping he’ll reduce those attempts and create for others. Randle gets a 3.5 out of 5, largely thanks to his hustle.
Mitchell Robinson: 4 PTS (2/3 FG), 5 REB in 13 mins
Mitchell Robinson fouled himself into the abyss. He never managed to stay on the court long enough to catch a rhythm. That makes his 4 points and 5 boards almost impressive because they came in brief, scattered moments. New York could have used more time from Mitch as the Spurs centers combined for 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Let’s give Mitch a mulligan and assume this was an outlier. He’s been too good to overreact to one tough night.
New York’s second unit needs to provide more
Miles McBride: 3 PTS (1/2 FG, 1/1 3PT) in 10 mins
Deuce McBride knocked down his first three-point attempt but didn’t do much after. He failed to assert himself in any way on offense. McBride’s defense didn’t do enough to compensate for his lack of contributions elsewhere. His minutes were cut accordingly.
Evan Fournier: 6 PTS (1/5 FG, 1/4 3PT, 3/4 FT) in 11 mins
Evan Fournier barely broke 10 minutes of action, and he didn’t receive more minutes because his flaws appeared against San Antonio. The wing missed a few rotations and gave up some backdoor cuts on defense. Fournier missed his open looks and didn’t provide any rebounding or playmaking. He has to be better to earn more minutes.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 8 PTS (2/6 FG, 0/1 3PT, 4/4 FT), 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 19 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein earned extra minutes thanks to Mitchell Robinson’s foul trouble. But he struggled to contain Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins. Hartenstein often dropped too far against screens, allowing screeners to pick and pop freely.
This would be more hype if he didn’t give up buckets to Zach Collins shortly after.
Hart covered for defensive struggles with solid work on offense. He chipped in 4 offensive rebounds, including a putback dunk. His effort in the middle led to 4 free throws, and he didn’t miss any, which was refreshing.
Hart’s not a power forward. He’s doing his best to work in space, but there are mismatches and spacing issues to deal with. Jericho Sims earned more minutes than Hartenstein, and I assume that was a choice related to defense. Hartenstein receives a 1.5 out of 5 for good board work but not much else.
Jericho Sims: 4 PTS (2/4 FG), 1 AST, 7 REB, 2 BLK, 1 TO in 22 mins
Jericho Sims’ athleticism proved valuable while covering for Mitchell Robinson’s foul trouble. Sims used his leaping ability to provide a couple of flashy blocks and rebounds at both ends of the floor.
His two missed field goals came late in the shot clock after receiving the ball in awkward spots under the basket: he attempted a pair of fading jumpers that didn’t look good. But he dunked the ball when receiving the ball in a better position.
Sims’ upside is impossible to ignore. His mobility sets him apart from the other centers on the roster. That lateral movement was valuable in crunch time, particularly when meeting Keldon Johnson at the rim. Nevertheless, Sims gets a 3 out of 5 for providing a quality interior presence.
My remaining concern for Tom Thibodeau
The Knicks held on to win this game, but I’m not a fan of Tom Thibodeau’s approach to closing games. The team often stagnates, dribbling out the clock and running isolation basketball when there’s a lead to protect. That approach moves away from everything that works for the offense prior. It didn’t come back to bite New York this time, but it has in recent losses when the Knicks fail to score and can’t make free throws.
But I’ll give Thibs credit as well. His bench was thoroughly outplayed, so he kept starters on the floor to offset second-unit struggles. He trusted Sims with late minutes when Mitch was in foul trouble and Hart struggled. Thibodeau got just enough out of Miles McBride and Evan Fournier for IQ and Brunson to finish strong.
Thibodeau has navigated injuries well. It will be interesting to see how he incorporates the returning Obi Toppin and soon-to-be-back RJ Barrett into his rotation. The bench needs depth and scoring. Obi will be welcomed, and RJ starting means IQ will return to sixth-man duties. But for now, Thibodeau gets a 3.5 out of 5 for keeping the team afloat without its usual bench contributions.
Closing Thoughts
An interesting nugget about the win is that New York finally hit .500 at home. They started this season with an abysmal home record, offset by success on the road — the Knicks boast the third-best away record in the league. However, if they consistently take care of business at home, their record has room for improvement.
My curiosity is peaked at this point. I’m not stressing about which stars become available anymore. Instead, I’ll wonder if the Knicks’ young gym rats can continue to grow thanks to their work ethic and potential. Quentin Grimes and Jericho Sims have barely scratched the surface of their potential; RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have incrementally built their games each season. When Obi Toppin returns, we’ll have another young piece with room for growth.
I know that’s not the most exciting path to success. People want a contender or at least a clear path to contention. I’m here to say that the best route to contending with any consistency is through homegrown talent. By developing the pieces they have, New York will be in a better position to strike when a big move is available. They’ll at least be better positioned than they were this past summer.
The Toronto Raptors are next, and for some reason, Pascal Siakam’s 50-bomb bothers me more than it should. So I want New York to avenge their loss badly. Also, the chance at 4 in a row helps, and the daunting task of beating Milwaukee after looms. But for now, defeating the Raptors is the next goal. I’ll see you after the action Knicks fam!
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