The New York Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 126-120. The game came down to the wire late in the fourth, but New York was able to hold on.
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The New York Knicks took down the Atlanta Hawks 126 to 120. New York’s offense rolled throughout much of the action. RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson led the way as scorers, while Julius Randle became a facilitator after missing some shots. The ball movement looked crisp, and every rotation player contributed to winning.
But this score is closer than it should have been. The Knicks were plagued by turnovers, including a pair in the final minute that gave Atlanta opportunities to tie or take the lead. That tells us there’s room for this team to be even better. Let’s check out where players stepped up and what they can improve on from this victory.
New York’s starters show chemistry
Jalen Brunson: 31 PTS (11/21 FG, 8/12 3PT, 1/2 FT), 5 AST, 3 REB, 1 TO in 33 mins
Jalen Brunson set a career-high for three-pointers made, punishing Atlanta for every miscue or slow closeout. Brunson struggled again from 2-point range but found success late in the game when the team needed every basket. He beat the Hawks from distance, then attacked inside when he saw Trae Young or a big-man mismatch.
The rest of Brunson’s game fit his typical performances. His playmaking didn’t pop off the screen, but it was quietly effective. He grabbed a few long boards and didn’t stand out for many defensive miscues.
The star’s one blemish appeared in the form of two passes to the sideline in crunch time. The first pass went through Quentin Grime’s hands right to Trae Young, and the second was out of RJ Barrett’s reach for a turnover out of bounds. Those two giveaways gave Atlanta chances to tie a game that should have been out of reach.
But Brunson’s performance was fantastic otherwise, and he picks up a 4 of 5 for his efficient 31.
Quentin Grimes: 6 PTS (2/6 FG, 2/5 3PT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 25 mins
I felt a pinch of frustration watching Quentin Grimes against the Hawks. The young shooter played too selfless for my taste. On multiple occasions, he caught the ball with space to take a three but hesitated and passed instead. I want to see Grimes punish teams for giving him even a slim shooting window.
That said, Grimes’ contribution was undeniable. He spent the entire game checking Trae Young and held the Hawks’ scorer to 4/16 from the field with 6 turnovers. That’s impressive, considering that Grimes went from guarding the big wing, Jayson Tatum, to the shifty shooter, Trae Young, in two days.
Grimes has earned his starting role with elite defense and versatility. But I’m disappointed he failed to contribute meaningfully across the rest of the box score. His shooting is excellent when he takes the shots granted by the defense, but his game has lacked the playmaking and timely rebounds that we know he can supply. Grimes gets a 2 of 5 for containing Trae Young.
RJ Barrett: 26 PTS (9/15 FG, 3/5 3PT, 5/6 FT), 6 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 34 mins
RJ Barrett continued his hot start to the season, beginning the game with a dunk and finishing with a dime to Julis Randle, which should have meant “game over.” Barrett started the game with aggression, attacking the paint and shooting when he was open. The Knicks’ biggest wing provided scoring punch with efficiency by making smart decisions with the ball and rarely forcing things.
Part of Barrett’s efficiency came from making the right passes. Broadway Barrett got the attention of the defense and began to spray the ball to shooters and cutters alike. His reads after receiving corner passes especially stood out, including a pump-fake to bounce pass for Donte DiVincenzo and a pair of cross-court dishes for hockey assists. RJ is processing the game fast, and his quicker trigger helped create for teammates.
Barrett also showed off a confident midrange jumper. He hit one in the first half, then took a crunch time middy at the baseline that was huge. It’s too early to say he’s taken a leap, but his first two performances have shown signs of growth we’ve been waiting for. Barrett claims a 4.5 of 5 for leading the way, with a few turnovers to clean up for a perfect score.
Julius Randle: 17 PTS (4/10 FG, 3/7 3PT, 6/8 FT), 9 AST, 12 REB, 3 TO in 34 mins
Julius Randle started the night shooting miserably from the field. His jumper missed badly occasionally, and he struggled to provide his usual scoring punch. But Randle showed maturity by quickly shifting his approach and becoming New York’s best passer. The big man used post-ups to force defensive shifts, then found open teammates all game.
We’ve been spoiled by Randle’s double-digit rebounding throughout his Knicks’ career, but it warrants a mention here. The All-NBA player is known for letting offensive struggles seep into his effort elsewhere. That wasn’t the case for Randle on the boards.
Despite the shooting woes, Randle kicked into gear for a pair of clutch threes late in the action. He stepped up just in time to keep up with a late push from the Hawks. He’s got another gear to find as a scorer, but as long as he contributes elsewhere, we can be patient while he finds his rhythm. Randle comes through with a 3 out of 5 for helping in many ways.
Mitchell Robinson: 7 PTS (2/6 FG, 3/4 FT), 1 AST, 13 REB, 4 STL, 4 BLK, 1 TO in 38 mins
Whenever the Hawks attacked the paint, Mitchell Robinson was waiting to meet them. The big man put together a signature defensive performance with 8 Stocks (Steals and Blocks) to show for it. But the steals and blocks only scratch the surface of the amount of plays that Mitch changed at the rim. He denied several lob attempts, challenged lay-ups that missed, and only gave up points when forced to help off Clint Capela, who feasted on putbacks in those situations.
Robinson’s offense hasn’t come around yet. That’s odd to say for a player who predominantly dunks the rock. But I mean that Mitch has 9 offensive boards in 2 games, with just one putback from the bunch. I expect the big man to become an even bigger force when his tip-ins begin to fall, and teammates draw more attention, inevitably creating lob opportunities.
New York’s defensive anchor fulfilled his role and shut the paint down for any would-be slasher. He made 3 of 4 free throws, which is a promising development. The big man consumed rebounds inside and is a few converted dunks away from becoming a walking double-double. Mitch picks up a 3.5 out of 5 for dominating defensively.
Donte arrives for the Knicks’ second-unit
Immanuel Quickley: 11 PTS (4/14 FG, 1/9 3PT, 2/2 FT), 6 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 4 TO in 24 mins
Immanuel Quickley’s issue is inconsistency. He went from giving New York 24 points on 11 attempts in Boston to 11 points on 14 shots in Atlanta. IQ’s three-pointer never came around, and toward the end of the game, he forced shots in search of it. The elusive scorer is better when he’s taking what the defense gives him.
That said, Quickley found ways to help New York win. His ball movement was crisp, as he’s quietly put together 10 assists in the first two games. The 6’2 guard added another 6 rebounds to his total, chasing down anything that got past the bigs. He hasn’t missed a beat defensively either, playing the role of pest in the passing lanes.
IQ’s fourth quarter gave me flashbacks of his postseason struggles. He pressed for offense when he could have relied on teammates. But he’s always one shot away from a hot streak, which makes him tough to judge. That inconsistent offense keeps him from genuinely forcing his way into a starter’s role and lands him a 2.5 out of 5 when some efficiency would have pushed his performance rating higher.
Donte DiVincenzo: 15 PTS (6/10 FG, 3/5 3PT, 1/2 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 20 mins
I asked for patience with Donte DiVincenzo last time because I figured he’d need time to adjust to this new team. But maybe he’s acclimated faster than expected because DiVincenzo was great for New York against Atlanta. DD knocked down big three-pointers in the third quarter, and his frequent cuts left the Hawks’ defense in disarray, though he has to finish his bunnies better.
While DiVincenzo’s stat line is modest, the low numbers conceal an impressive effort. Donte only clocked one steal, but he deflected passes and poked the ball loose on ball-handlers more often. He only picked up one assist, but I’m confident he found shooters more than that. He was all over the place, even if the numbers don’t reflect it.
That’s the beauty of a player like Donte DiVincenzo. He doesn’t need to blow up a stat line to provide meaningful minutes. His hard work translates in ways you must watch the game to see. Donte nets a 3 of 5 for doing all the small things.
Josh Hart: 4 PTS (2/4 FG, 0/1 3PT), 3 REB, 1 STL in 22 mins
Josh Hart was banged up in the preseason and only played a handful of minutes in preparation for the regular season. We might be seeing some rust or lingering effects of the injury. Hart’s not playing poorly, but he’s too quiet. This guy propelled New York to a 52-win pace after being acquired last season, and he put up just 4 points and 3 boards in 22 minutes.
Hart’s game doesn’t look notably different. One of his buckets came on a coast-to-coast transition, and his off-ball movement combined with DiVincenzo’s to create plenty of lanes for ball handlers to attack. I just know that there’s another level to Josh Hart’s play.
I wouldn’t say that I’m concerned. We know what Hart can do, and his lack of preseason minutes gives me even less reason to worry. But for now, Hart gets a 1.5 out of 5 for the quiet game.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 8 PTS (3/4 FG, 1/2 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 10 mins
I usually don’t even give ratings to players who get less than 15 minutes of action. But Isaiah Hartenstein turned 10 minutes in 8 points, a dime to DiVincenzo, and 2 Stocks. He was hampered by foul trouble all game, but when I-Hart played, he wrought havoc on Atlanta. It’s enough to rate a 2.5 of 5 because he made a quick impact.
Tom Thibodeau’s rotation is getting there
I’m still uncomfortable with Tom Thibodeau’s fourth-quarter rotation, but we’re two games into the season, and he has already made some quick changes. Thibs brought Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle into the fourth-quarter action a bit sooner, then did the same for RJ Barrett. He got those guys ample rest to close things in a high-paced game.
He didn’t get a chance to rest players on the back-to-back, but that’s not on him. Thibodeau made the right choices to ensure a win.
Closing Thoughts
This was the kind of performance I expected when New York entered Atlanta. They played in the muck with the Celtics and kept pace. But against a Hawks team that’s a tier below the best, New York led nearly the entire time. That’s not a bad team in Atlanta, and they proved it by refusing to let the Knicks run away with the lead. But this game always felt like New York was in control.
That’s something I’d like to see more of this year. The Knicks can separate themselves from the Eastern Conference pack and land firmly on the tier occupied by Milwaukee and Boston. They’ll get there by taking down the Atlantas, Philadelphias, and Miamis of the league.
The next game is a tough one. New Orleans is healthy and rolling into Saturday night on two days’ rest. The Knicks played a challenging game in Atlanta on Friday and had to fly across the country without time to relax. But that makes this an opportunity. Games like this play with house money; meanwhile, a win becomes a major statement if the Knicks can pull it off.
We’ll see if New York has the legs to hang with a young, fresh, and dangerous opponent next. I’ll see you, Knicks fam!
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