Knicks fall to Boston Celtics 104-108: Losing at the free-throw line

The New York Knicks fell to the Boston Celtics 104-108. The New York Knicks shot bricks all night, costing them a win.

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The New York Knicks almost stole their season opener but came up short against the Boston Celtics, losing 104 to 108. The Knicks’ top two players shot miserably, while Boston saw star performances from Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis. New York shot a woeful 28 percent inside the paint and missed 12 out of 26 free throws. It’s a night the players will undoubtedly wish they could have back.

But the game also reminded us how this team wins, and that’s grit. Despite all that ugly basketball, New York took a 6-point lead into the waning minutes of the action. They did that by forcing more turnovers and grabbing more rebounds en route to 20 extra field goal attempts compared to Boston. Unfortunately, the missed free throws and paint attempts caught up to them as Boston fought back to win the game late.

It’s a frustrating loss, but not one to overreact about. The Knicks played a championship contender with an elite defense, and victory was within reach until the last shots of the action. Let’s look at the performances to see where they can improve to reverse this result in the future.

Randle and Brunson struggle for the starters, but RJ steps up

Jalen Brunson:  15 PTS (6/21 FG, 3/8 3PT, 0/1 FT), 6 AST, 3 REB, 3 STL, 2 TO in 33 mins

Jalen Brunson opened his season against arguably the best defensive backcourt in the league. His struggles were understandable but no less frustrating. That’s because he got plenty of looks that we expect him to finish but never found his rhythm. Brunson’s only consistent success came as an off-ball three-point shooter.

On the bright side, New York’s leader made some excellent passes. His paint touches that became kickouts turned into quality looks for teammates. That stands out when most other ball handlers dribble into crowds and turn the rock over. 

Brunson also deserves credit for his anticipation in passing lanes. He punished Boston for attempting cross-court passes, and the fast breaks his steals produced led to points. But this was a subpar game for New York’s typical best player. He earns a 1 of 5 for his season-opening struggles. 

Quentin Grimes: 11 PTS (4/7 FG, 3/6 3PT, 0/1 FT), 1 REB in 23 mins

It took time for Quentin Grimes to get into the flow of action offensively. He didn’t get many touches in the early portion of the action and looked tentative on those opportunities. But he started shooting in the second quarter (making 1 of 2 threes) and ended the half with my favorite play of the game.

Grimes didn’t score big, but his baskets felt like energizers. His floor-stretching impact was immediately felt off every three-pointer, and they helped cut Boston’s leads and momentum. 

On the downside, we saw Grimes struggle to contain Jayson Tatum. Tatum was too big and strong, consistently bumping QG off and shooting over him. New York’s top defender is too small for enormous wings. It doesn’t help that Grimes only registered one rebound in his non-scoring stat line. Grimes gets 1.5 of 5 for his tough defensive match-up.

RJ Barrett: 24 PTS (8/20 FG, 2/5 3PT, 6/7 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 36 mins

New York’s best starter was undoubtedly RJ Barrett. The young veteran spent most of the night in attack mode, finding middling success at the rim and adding a couple of pull-up midrange jumpers to his bag. Barrett also knocked down his threes, missing a pair that came late in the shot clock off broken plays but going 2/3 on quality looks.

But there is plenty of room for improvement in RJ’s night. He forced the issue on some of his trips inside, leading to blocked shots and turnovers. Occasionally, he missed kickout opportunities on reads we saw him make throughout the preseason. His efficiency could improve with a few tweaks in decision-making.

Barrett’s most exciting improvement came on the defensive end. He was Jayson Tatum’s most formidable defender for most of the night. The Knicks lack a big wing defender, but RJ stepped up and gave Tom Thibodeau an option for at least this one night. Barrett was the Knicks’ second-best performer and earned a 3.5 of 5 for his strong night.

Julius Randle: 14 PTS (5/22 FG, 3/8 3PT, 1/5 FT), 7 AST, 11 REB, 2 STL in 34 mins

Julius Randle’s shot selection wasn’t a problem, but his inability to finish in the paint was. Randle often took Jrue Holiday to the post on switches but failed to take advantage of the match-up. Randle missed 10 shots in the paint and 5 more from three, and they were rarely forced attempts. I’ll chalk this up to an off night, but I like his shot profile.

Randle did many of the little things that make up for a rough shooting night. He was far and away New York’s best rebounder. When Boston sent help defenders in the paint, Randle made smart passes, including the dime that woke Grimes up after a quiet first quarter. 

On the other hand, Randle’s defense wasn’t great. He was in a tough spot against Boston’s five-out approach but still failed to make much difference as a help defender. There are opportunities to switch Randle against screens when shooting teams come into town, but that’s not Thibodeau’s system. 

Randle gets a 1.5 out of 5 for abysmal shooting but strong passing and rebounding.

Mitchell Robinson: 2 PTS (1/4 FG, 0/2 FT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 22 mins

Mitchell Robinson started the night well, dunking off an assist from RJ Barrett and grabbing four rebounds early. But Mitch had trouble chasing Kristaps Porzingis outside the arc and ran into foul trouble as he started to press for stops. That left Robinson on the bench for long stretches of action and out of sync when he returned.

To Robinson’s credit, his defense on the interior remains a strength. He challenged shooters at the rim, creating some misses and avoiding fouls in those instances. Unfortunately, that’s not enough against an opponent who can frequently drag him 18 feet from the basket.

There’s not much to add since Mitch had his night cut short. Robinson gets a 1 out of 5 after this tough night against a stretch-5.

New York’s second unit gets a boost from IQ

Immanuel Quickley: 24 PTS (7/11 FG, 5/7 3PT, 5/6 FT), 4 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 28 mins

The week began with drama over New York’s failure to agree on an extension with Immanuel Quickley. But Quickley didn’t let that affect his performance, as he was New York’s best player. IQ shot lights out, knocking down jumpers over quality defenders and making timely buckets. He moved the ball well within the second unit and flashed excellent chemistry with RJ Barrett as the two focal points to start the even-numbered quarters.

Quickley’s 24 points on 11 attempts will get the lion’s share of attention, and rightfully so. But don’t let that blind you to his defensive impact. IQ was in the passing lanes often, more disruptive as an on-ball defender than last season, and challenged shooters with better closeouts than anyone else on the team. He was fantastic defensively.

I’ve said all that and could still go on about IQ’s rebounding and how he picked out open teammates as the game progressed. This was an outstanding performance from my instant favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year. This wasn’t just the Quickley who took a leap last season; this IQ looked even better. New York’s sixth man grabs a 4 out of 5 to start his year.

Donte DiVincenzo: 0 PTS (0/4 FG, 0/3 3PT), 2 AST, 3 REB in 15 mins

As I did all preseason, I’ll continue asking Knicks fans for patience with Donte DiVincenzo. The newcomer failed to convert on three open looks at range and frustratingly bricked a reverse lay-up. I’ll give him an “opening night nerves” pass for the jumpers, but his struggles at the rim are a concern.

On the other hand, DiVincenzo deserves credit for other areas of his game. He threw a nice dime to Josh Hart for three, chased down a few rebounds, and played strong defense in limited minutes. It’s not enough to avoid a 1 of 5 for his performance, but it shows that there’s light at the end of the tunnel once he starts making shots.

Josh Hart: 7 PTS (2/4 FG, 2/4 3PT, 1/2 FT), 6 REB, 1 TO in 22 mins

We didn’t get the whole Josh Hart experience in this action. The Celtics did a great job of keeping Hart from turning his defensive rebounds into coast-to-coast attacks. The former Blazer did his damage from the three-point line instead. Hart hesitated on an early three but shot confidently and in rhythm after that early miss.

Hart’s presence as backup PF didn’t show any downsides. He was effective on the boards, and the second unit spacing helped Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett put together their most effective minutes. Hart gets a 2 of 5 for this first action.

Isaiah Hartenstein: 7 PTS (3/4 FG, 1/2 FT), 2 AST, 8 REB, 1 TO in 26 mins

With Mitchell Robinson stuck in foul trouble, we were reminded how valuable Isaiah Hartenstein is as a backup. I-Hart gave the Knicks a boost in physicality that left the Celtics frustrated, drawing a pair of technical fouls from Jalen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, respectively. Hartenstein played tough on the boards, though his rim protection didn’t hold up as well as Robinson’s. 

Big Hart’s passing was fun to watch. The second unit has cutters, and I-Hart knows how to find them. He only clocked a pair of assists, but there were a couple more left hanging when teammates missed bunnies. The big man’s putback to the end of the first half brought the Garden crowd to life.

Overall, Isaiah Hartenstein was a bright spot on a tough night. We’ve discussed Immanuel Quickley’s extension, but Big Hart deserves mention. He’s a crucial piece of the rotation and is due for a pay increase after this season. Hartenstein gets a 3 of 5 for a nice start to his season.

Tom Thibodeau’s rotation still needs work

Tom Thibodeau will face difficulty figuring out how to share minutes amongst this deep roster. It doesn’t help that he never got to use his regular rotation in the preseason. 

So, the season opener included some strange decisions, like benching RJ Barrett for an extended chunk of the fourth quarter after RJ played well. With New York down two possessions and time waning, Thibodeau failed to bring Quentin Grimes back out despite being the best shooter on the team.

I think these bugs will get ironed out over time, but it was frustrating to see some head-scratching choices in a game lost at the margins.

Closing Thoughts 

I dodged most post-game discussions like the plague because this is a time when fans and prognosticators overreact. The Knicks played an ugly game, with their best players struggling throughout. They lost in a frustrating fashion, and KP’s revenge game only made things worse. But at the end of the day, New York’s a few free throws away from stealing a win from a title contender.

It’s been a while, so I want to remind everyone that Tom Thibodeau’s teams win ugly. They don’t run lovely plays like Golden State or overwhelm opponents like Milwaukee. New York shot unsightly percentages last season but won by doing all the dirty work to wear their opposition down. They almost pulled that off against Boston and will achieve it against plenty of opponents to come.

So, don’t get too low over the loss. Get ready for the ups and downs. We’re just getting started, Knicks fam! I’m chomping at the bit for Friday’s match-up with the Hawks. I’ll see you then.

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 Knicks Fan TV x Knicks Film School x SNY crossover season preview.