The New York Knicks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 121-102. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo set the tone early!
The New York Knicks finished their 5-game road trip with a dominant victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks took a lead early and spent most of the night cruising en route to a 121 to 102 final score.
Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo set the tone early and controlled the action for the rest of the game. Immanuel Quickley scored at a torrid pace off the bench, while Josh Hart supplied his first double-double of the season.
The Knicks return home with a 3-2 record on the road trip, although a game in Brooklyn can barely be considered a road game. Let’s take a look at each player’s performance in the victory.
New York’s offseason acquisition makes a splash for the starters
Jalen Brunson: 16 PTS (6/15 FG, 1/3 3PT, 3/4 FT), 8 AST, 7 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 32 mins
Jalen Brunson’s scoring didn’t quite click early. He shot the ball poorly throughout the first half. But he made important baskets when the Nets gained momentum in the third quarter.
Brunson made up for lackluster efficiency with one of his best playmaking performances of the season. He started the night with a pair of beautiful assists, especially a head fake to RJ in the corner that turned into a bounce pass to DiVincenzo in the paint. Throughout the night, the Knicks’ star point guard whipped dimes to teammates, especially his Nova buddy DiVo.
Brunson is a scoring guard, but fans sometimes treat that like it means the diminutive guard can’t perform the way traditional point guards do. This performance is a nice example that he can be the table-setter when other scorers get hot. Despite poor shooting, Brunson gets a 3 out of 5 for a strong night.
Donte DiVincenzo: 23 PTS (9/15 FG, 5/10 3PT), 1 AST, 8 REB, 3 STL, 2 TO in 23 mins
Donte DiVincenzo knocked down jumpers early and seemed like he couldn’t miss throughout the action. DiVo punished the Nets every time they left him with space to shoot. DiVincenzo is shooting 50.0 percent from three in the seven games since moving to the starting unit. He finished with 23 points, scoring a point for every minute he touched the floor.
DiVo’s impact wasn’t relegated to shooting well alone. He also supplied 8 boards to help cover for New York’s two missing centers. His defensive play was disruptive throughout the night, as he notched 3 steals in just 23 minutes.
DiVo’s confident shooting without forcing bad shots has been a boon for the starters’ offense. He’s spacing the floor effectively, and teammates actively look for him when lanes close inside. He’s got a vice grip on the starting role. DiVincenzo gets a 4.5 out of 5 for a great performance.
RJ Barrett: 14 PTS (5/11 FG, 0/1 3PT, 4/4 FT), 2 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 27 mins
RJ Barrett attacked the paint plenty and managed a reasonably efficient scoring night. But his offense wasn’t pretty, with a few forced shots in transition and blocked attempts at the rim. He never built momentum to take over stretches of action and finished with just 14 points.
But I’ll give Barrett credit for doing plenty of other things well. His defense, particularly on Mikal Bridges, was flat-out good. He rebounded well and seemed okay with settling for the simple pass at times. One of his assists came off a basic swing pass, showing that he doesn’t need to complicate things to get results.
Barrett’s night was a lesser version of Brunson’s. He didn’t have his scoring touch, but found other meaningful ways to contribute. He gets a 2.5 out of 5 for a respectable night.
Julius Randle: 26 PTS (9/20 FG, 0/4 3PT, 8/9 FT), 4 AST, 7 REB, 1 TO in 34 mins
My Julius Randle recaps are getting repetitive, which is good news. Once again, he dominated inside with post-ups, kick-outs, and layups. If he had momentum going toward the basket, he was going to bump a defender off and finish in the space created. The All-Star big led all scorers on the night.
For the sake of nitpicking, I should point out that Randle’s in a three-point shooting slump. He went 0/4 against Brooklyn and is shooting 14% from three over his past 4 games. That hasn’t been a problem, but it might become one when he faces teams with better rim protection and size.
The big man’s rebounding and assist totals were decent but fell below his season averages. That’s explained by Brunson taking on more playmaking and the entire team attacking the glass. He’s been stellar lately, showing an edge I don’t recall seeing even during his All-NBA campaigns. Randle gets a 4 out of 5 for another great performance.
Isaiah Hartenstien: 2 PTS (1/3 FG), 3 AST, 10 REB, 2 BLK in 30 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein finally started for the Knicks; it only took two injuries to get him there. While I-Hart didn’t do much scoring, his impact everywhere else shined. He picked up three assists while being both an outlet and connector for driving ball-handlers. He’s a great passer out of short rolls and can move from a screen to unique places on the floor that have opened lanes that players like Randle can capitalize on.
I-Hart’s defense and rebounding lived up to the standards that Mitchell Robinson set. Hartenstein is a menace in drop coverage, poking at ball handlers and blocking shots at the rim. I had concerns about Nic Claxton’s athleticism, but I-Hart kept him in check.
We got news after the game that Mitch is likely out for the season. That’s terrible news, but the silver lining is how well Hartenstein has played. He’s always ready to step up, and now he’ll have a golden opportunity in a contract year. I-Hart gets a 2.5 out of 5 for a strong night.
The Knicks stay sharp even without Hartenstein
Immanuel Quickley: 19 pts (7/12 fg, 4/6 3PT, 1/4 FT), 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 19 mins
Immanuel Quickley continued his hot scoring streak with 19 points in 19 minutes. He entered the game in blackout mode, more likely to attack and shoot than pause or playmake. That’s fine when he knocks down shots at nearly 60% efficiency.
But IQ’s focus on scoring did have some downsides. He looked off open players more often than I’d like, turning them into decoys while he got his own. That’s the sort of play style he can get away with while his shot’s falling, but it can lead to frustrations if he starts missing.
Quick’s challenge has always been finding a balance between scoring and playmaking. He’s red hot right now, so his scoring-focused approach makes sense. But I hope to see him find the more rounded success of his best performances soon. IQ gets a 3.5 out of 5 for scoring so effectively.
Quentin Grimes: 5 PTS (2/7 FG, 1/4 3PT), 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK in 18 mins
Quentin Grimes had another tough shooting night despite good looks. I’ll keep giving him credit for trying more since moving to the bench. He attacked the basket a few times and hasn’t hesitated on open looks. But his nightly success is still predicated on making three-pointers.
Grimes’ defense is impressive as ever, at least. He managed a block and a steal in just 18 minutes, although the steal came against garbage time reserves.
We’re inching closer to the Quentin Grimes from last year. He looks more active since coming off the bench, and a two-game shooting slump isn’t enough to change that. But we’re waiting for him to have a breakout and kick into gear. Grimes gets a 1.5 out of 5 for a slow night.
Josh Hart: 10 PTS (2/5 FG, 2/3 3PT, 4/4 FT), 3 AST, 13 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 31 mins
I’d praise this performance from Josh Hart, even if he never scored a point. Hart was a menace on the boards, sometimes snatching the ball right out of bigger opponents’ hands. He rarely had to worry about scoring because he was busy chasing loose balls or making quick, snappy passes.
But when push came to shove, Hart managed to produce with the shot clock running out. He knocked down a pair of threes and earned free throws on forays inside. That helped him turn in his first double-double of the season, which Julius Randle teased him for in post-game interviews.
Hart’s ability to turn a low-scoring night into a big, positive impact is second to none. He practically stumbled into 10 points in this one, thanks to busting his hump everywhere else. He earns a 3 out of 5 for a big double-double to help the second unit without one of their key guys in I-Hart.
Taj Gibson: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 2 REB, 2 BLK, 1 TO in 13 mins
Taj Gibson signed last week, and immediately has to step into a rotation role. He acclimated quickly by knocking down a baby jumper and blocking a couple of shots. He was visibly gassed after some extended burn, but that’s because he was working hard.
I’d be lying if I said, “I’m not concerned” about teams overloading New York with size. But Taj is a tough, gritty competitor, which was clear in his first rotation minutes. He gets a 2 out of 5 for holding down the middle for his brief time.
Tom Thibodeau’s biggest changes are paying dividends
The Knicks’ offense is rolling, and their defense has picked back up in the past two games. It looks like chemistry is forming with a rotation that has seen significant changes due to injuries and coaching decisions. The biggest change was DiVo to the starters, which has worked out tremendously.
Regarding Brooklyn, Thibodeau’s best moments came from calling quick timeouts. New York started the third lackadaisical on defense, and he wasn’t having it. But otherwise, this was a well-earned, easy night for the coach.
Closing Thoughts:
Next comes hell week. The Knicks gave themselves breathing room and good vibes with a strong road trip. But they’ll play Milwaukee twice, then OKC, then Orlando and Indiana back-to-back over a 7-day run. The schedule-makers have been my enemy all season, and my animosity continues.
But I could have made similar complaints about this past road trip. Playing Phoenix and the two LA teams on an extended West Coast journey felt unfair. The Knicks stepped up and got good results, anyway. So, these upcoming games look like a nightmare, but could be an opportunity.
If the Knicks are tired of hearing about the players their roster doesn’t have, the next five games are an opportunity to shut everyone up. I’m looking forward to it, even if it might give me new grey hairs. I’ll see you next time, Knicks fam!
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