The New York Knicks fall to the Atlanta hawks 124-139. New York held on offensively, but their defense struggled without Mitchell Robinson.
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The New York Knicks fell apart in the fourth quarter, losing to the Atlanta Hawks 124 to 139. Neither team bothered to play defense, with both teams attacking the paint comfortably and knocking down shots. New York’s drop coverage didn’t work without Mitch; Hawks scorers exploited the defense with pull-up jumpers all game. The Knicks got offense from their usual suspects, who helped New York to a three-point lead at the half and kept them at a one-point deficit to start the fourth.
The Knicks’ second unit was blown out to start the fourth. The starters came in and failed to get much going. New York couldn’t get a stop, and that meant their deficit grew into a blowout by the end. But their offense did roll, so let’s see how everyone contributed to the Knicks.
Knicks’ starters produce but can’t get any stops
Jalen Brunson: 19 PTS (7/14 FG, 1/2 3PT, 4/6 FT), 9 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK, 3 TO in 36 mins
Jalen Brunson started things off with a series of excellent finishes. His elusiveness and footwork were on full display as he poured on points and helped New York’s starters to a torrid first quarter. Then, as the Hawks focused more on stopping the diminutive point guard, he began picking them apart with passing. Only one Knick missed any field goals in the first quarter, and Brunson was the spark for that success.
Brunson’s offense slowed as the game wore on. The Hawks sent more traffic his way, so the Knicks’ leader let other hot hands take over. He shifted his contributions to defense, where Brunson picked up a surprising 3 blocks. He also tallied a pair of steals, though he couldn’t stay in bounds, and also picked up a turnover on one of those.
Brunson played a good game of basketball. He kept the Knicks’ offense rolling and let other players lead when the time was right. His only significant blemishes came from forcing passes past Dejounte Murray’s ridiculous wingspan, leading to steals. However, Brunson did everything else well and earned a 2.5 out of 5 for his effort.
Quentin Grimes: 10 PTS (4/7 FG, 2/5 3 PT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 16 mins
It felt like Quentin Grimes would have a big game. He hit a three early in action, and Atlanta’s lack of rim protection was perfect for the sophomore’s blow-by attacks. While Grimes was on the floor, he found spaces to shoot or attack and made quality plays from those moments.
But Grimes wasn’t on the floor for long. Trae Young continually drew fouls on the young defender. Grimes left the first quarter early with 2 fouls, then did the same in the third. His 16 minutes of playtime also includes some garbage time minutes to bolster it. His impact score gets docked to a 2 out of 5 because Grimes couldn’t avoid foul trouble to help his team more.
RJ Barrett: 23 PTS (9/16 FG, 3/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 39 mins
RJ Barrett started the game 5/5 from the field without taking a jumper. He drove to the lane and finished with both hands during the first quarter and early second. Barrett would eventually shoot and make jumpers as well. He played with impressive rhythm and comfort throughout the game.
But Barrett slowed down enough during the fourth quarter for Atlanta to make a run. The Knicks’ highest-drafted player ran with the second unit during a cold streak that lost the game. To Barrett’s credit, he came back to Earth but still scored well. Unfortunately, he couldn’t carry the entire offense on his back.
Barrett’s touch around the basket appears improved, and he’s finishing on the right side of the rim more often than ever. Sometimes, that’s offset by his poor shot selection, but Barrett kept it together for this performance. RJ played an efficient game and earned a 3 out of 5, with room to grow by adding more playmaking and rebounding to the mix.
Julius Randle: 32 PTS (11/22 FG, 3/10 3PT, 7/9 FT), 6 AST, 9 REB, 3 TO in 33 mins
Julius Randle was the only Knick to miss a field goal in the first quarter, but that’s because he was so aggressive. Randle still shot 50 percent from the field and scored 11 points during that stretch. He kept it up by driving the basket and powering through defenders. Randle had 32 points by the end of the third, with his only issue being poor shooting from three.
But Randle failed to score in the fourth quarter. He rested to start the quarter, and by the time he entered, the game was out of reach. We got a brief glimpse of the small-ball Obi/Randle tandem, but it couldn’t produce the defensive rebounds needed to complete stops. So Randle’s production came to a halt.
The big man led the Knicks for most of the action. The Hawks flirted with a double-digit lead in the third until Randle took over. He pulled the Knicks within one, and things fell apart when he sat. Randle’s rebounding slipped slightly without Mitch, but he still pieced together a 4 out of 5 performance.
Jericho Sims: 12 PTS (6/6 FG), 8 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 28 mins
Jericho Sims picked up the start in place of injured Mitchell Robinson. Sims found himself in the fire, defending the pick and roll against Trae Young and Clint Capela. Young burned Sims’ drop coverage early and often, though New York’s big sophomore seemed to improve as the game wore on. Jericho challenged shots and picked off an alley-oop attempt in the latter portion of the action.
Sims also provided perfect scoring inside. If the Knicks got him the ball around the rim, Sims dunked it. He even sunk a floater in a similar fashion to Isaiah Hartenstein’s move. In addition, the sophomore’s pogo-stick athleticism made him tough to contain.
Sims took a while to get acclimated to this trial by fire. His communication with Grimes on the pick and roll could use some fine-tuning. But the pair of young players faced one of the best offensive attacks in the league for their first start together. That’s a tall order for anyone, and Sims improved at both ends as the game wore on. Sims gets a 2.5 out of 5, needing to tighten his rim protection for a more significant impact.
A fourth-quarter collapse for the New York bench
Miles McBride: 8 PTS (3/5 FG, 2/3 3PT), 4 AST, 1 REB in 16 mins
Miles McBride knocked down a three in each half. That gave him confidence as he attacked off the dribble for a nice pull-up from midrange later on. Deuce took the lead more often, attacking off the dribble and making some kick-out passes. His assertive approach led to one of his most productive games of the season.
McBride played solid defense, but this was a rare game where McBride felt undersized because players like Murray and Bogdanovic took him to the basket and scored from pull-ups inside.
McBride’s 16 minutes include garbage time, which may explain some of his more confident play. He didn’t have anyone to differ to. That let us see some of McBride’s offensive potential, though it’s still a glimpse more than a sign. Deuce gets a 2.5 out of 5 for sound production in backup minutes.
Immanuel Quickley: 11 PTS (5/5 FG, 1/1 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 36 mins
Immanuel Quickley’s night frustrated me. That’s not because he played poorly but because he played too well to fall to the wayside as he did. Quickley was a big producer in the first half, helping the Knicks outpace the Hawks through two quarters. IQ worked inside while adding a three-pointer and a fast-break dunk along the way.
But Quickley spent most of the second-half watching other players handle the ball and shoot. He seemed to be the decoy in every play. That makes some sense with Randle’s hot hand in the third and the rotation taking on odd shapes in the fourth. But it’s disappointing after IQ’s solid start to the game and recent success.
Quickley played extended minutes thanks to Grimes’ foul trouble. He played solid defense but had no answers to stopping Young or Murray. But the problem came down to drop coverage from bigs rather than anything Quickley could help. IQ gets a 2 out of 5 for high efficiency but light production in so many minutes.
Obi Toppin: 7 PTS (3/7 FG, 1/4 3PT), 2 AST, 3 REB in 16 mins
Obi Toppin flashed his skillset for the first time since returning from his knee fracture. Toppin hit a three, dunked in transition, then drove past a closeout for his second dunk of the action. Unfortunately, Toppin cooled off after that and mainly settled for three-point attempts.
Toppin’s defense wasn’t markedly worse than anyone else. I actually liked his closeouts more than some of his peers. But the team rebounding sunk while he played, so he sat quickly once his offense cooled. But we’re seeing Obi get his rhythm and legs back. Toppin receives a 2 out of 5.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 2 PTS (1/1 FG), 1 AST, 6 REB, 1 TO in 17 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein’s production looks okay on paper. But his performance stood out to the eye test for a series of second-quarter defensive mishaps. Hart continually dropped too far against the pick and roll, which allowed Dejounte Murray to step into pull-up jumpers around the free-throw line. Murray was making jumpers in rhythm, and Hart never stepped up in time.
Hart’s only redeeming quality was better rebounding than in recent games. His defensive folly stole the show. He’s a square peg trying to fit a round hole in this defensive scheme. Hart gets a 1.5 out of 5 for giving away too much space to shooters.
Tom Thibodeau’s defense looks lost without Mitchell Robinson
Tom Thibodeau’s defense fell apart without Mitchell Robinson. The team’s drop coverage works with Mitch because he’s got the size and mobility to defend the shot and the pass in space. Jericho Sims doesn’t have the size, and Isaiah Hartenstein lacks the mobility. So now Thibodeau has to get creative because I don’t think this defense can survive.
There weren’t any other decisions that warranted much scrutiny. Thibs’ had to sit Grimes for foul trouble, and he let the bench handle most of the fourth when the game left his reach. Thibodeau’s reputation for defense makes this an incredibly disappointing night. It looked like Thibodeau’s entire scheme was built to rely on a single player (Mitch), and the system collapsed without him.
Closing Thoughts
The news of Mitchell Robinson’s injury couldn’t come at a worse time. The Knicks’ schedule is a brutal mix of playoff teams and play-in competition for most of the following month. It also shows us just how crucial Robinson has been to the team. If one of the Knicks’ lead scorers goes down, there are two or three ball-handlers to pick up where he left off. But New York was immediately linked to band-aid defensive bigs like Serge Ibaka when Robinson went down.
Losing Mitch shows just how precarious New York’s position was. Tom Thibodeau had starters handle massive workloads, and the team topped to sixth place. So a month without their defensive anchor could have New York slip to 10th or even be stuck fighting for the final spot in the play-in.
Now it’s time for the Knicks to show resilience or collapse as they did in the fourth. They’re on a three-game losing streak, and if it extends, there’s enough time for the front office to act. That’s a scary thought because the Front Office’s decisions have often been inexplicable. I don’t want a desperation trade for a team with a sixth-place ceiling.
New York can avoid that by winning games. The tests are frequent and fierce this month, but that means a lot of chances to win some statement games finally. Unfortunately, I won’t be available for the Toronto Raptors game, but I’ll be back in time to discuss the Cleveland Cavaliers matchup with you all. 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 News, where CP, Alex, and Michael Scotto discuss the trade rumors and Mitchell Robinson’s injury!
