The New York Knicks fall to the Dallas Mavericks 121-126. The Knicks had the lead with 33 seconds left in the game but lost in overtime.
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The New York Knicks blew a nine-point lead with 33 seconds left and lost to the Dallas Mavericks in overtime. The loss marks the third time New York has blown a lead in the final minutes of action during their four-game losing streak. New York led for most of the action with contributions from multiple key players. But Dallas overcame the Knicks behind a 60-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist triple-double from Luka Doncic.
The Knicks ran out of steam in overtime, but I can’t blame them. Jalen Brunson didn’t play, and RJ Barrett left the game within two minutes. That meant Tom Thibodeau relied heavily on five players who looked burned out before regulation ended. Unfortunately, the nine-man rotation may have come back to bite them, stealing glory from a career-high scoring night for Quentin Grimes.
By evaluating each performance, let’s look at New York’s strong play but late collapse.
New faces step up in the absence of two 20 lead-scorers
Immanuel Quickley: 13 PTS (5/21 FG, 1/10 3PT, 2/3 FT), 14 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 51 mins
Immanuel Quickley never calibrated his shot but made up for that with playmaking. Quickley always seems to choose between playmaking or scoring, unable to balance the two on most nights. He shot off-balance attempts, step-backs, or foul-hunting attempts without much falling. But on the bright side, his lone three-pointer gave the Knicks their first nine-point lead in the final five minutes of action.
IQ’s passing stole the show and kept him on the floor. He consistently hurt Dallas with drive and kick opportunities. As you peak at the shooting numbers for everyone else, understand that Quickley created the openings most players took advantage of. He still over-dribbled at times and failed to run sets when the team went into clock kill late. But IQ flashed true point-guard potential for most of the action.
Quickley’s defense was impressive, as always. If offense was all Tom Thibodeau needed, then Quickley could have rested more while Derrick Rose played. But Thibs trusted his best defenders, which meant IQ led all players in minutes. Quickley gets a 4 out of 5 with a reduction for poor shooting.
Quentin Grimes: 33 PTS (12/25 FG, 7/16 3PT, 2/3 FT), 4 AST, 6 REB, 3 TO in 48 mins
Quentin Grimes stepped up while Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett were absent. Grimes’ scoring started with three-point shooting, as he consistently knocked down looks in space. The sophomore built off that, using his first step to beat closeouts and wreak havoc in the paint. He was efficient on drives and added dimes, like a drop-off to Mitchell Robinson in the dunker’s spot.
I don’t blame Quentin Grimes for Luka Doncic going ballistic from the field. But Grimes has more issues when facing bigger wings. Doncic was able to post up every guard that defended him. This was an instance where New York missed RJ Barrett’s size and really could have used Cam Reddish at least to try and slow Luka down.
This marks one of Grimes’ best performances. He efficiently set a career-high and added crucial rebounds and highlight passes. Grimes’ scoring waned as fatigue set in late, and he struggled to contain Luka Doncic. But the sophomore looked like a potential star with this performance. He gets a 4.5 out of 5 for his impact on the action.
RJ Barrett: 0 PTS (0/1 FG), 1 AST in 2 mins
RJ Barrett left the game with a laceration on his right hand. The unlucky injury occurred less than 2 minutes into the game.
Julius Randle: 29 PTS (11/23 FG, 5/11 3PT, 2/4 FT), 4 AST, 18 REB, 2 TO in 45 mins
Julius Randle always plays well in Dallas, and this was no different. He knocked down jumpers from a distance and on fadeaways from midrange. Randle also drove for some excellent finishes, but his game leaned heavily on post-ups and catch-and-shoot. Thankfully, Dallas didn’t have enough length, so he shot over them.
I have to mention Randle’s passing. His 4 assists might not seem like much, but that’s not telling the whole story. Randle passed fast as double teams approached rather than waiting for the trap to arrive. His passes would set off chain reactions, with the ball ahead of the defense and the Knicks passing around until someone was wide open. Randle didn’t earn assists in those instances, but his passing sparked those open looks.
There are two sides to Randle’s defense. I still think he loses attention to detail on rotations and winds up a step too far to close out. But by staying closer to the paint, he’s dominating the boards and completing possessions. New York needs to win rebounding battles; Randle has been crucial to that. New York’s lone star for the game picks up a 4.5 out of 5 for his significant production when they needed it.
Mitchell Robinson: 20 PTS (8/9 FG, 4/8 FT), 1 AST, 16 REB, 2 STL in 36 mins
Mitchell Robinson opened the game with a post up for an and-one. He proceeded to bully the Mavericks’ undersized interior defense throughout the night. Mitch grabbed 7 offensive rebounds, and once he had the ball inside, Dallas’ only option was to put him on the line. Robinson missed too many free throws, but that was the only downside to his presence on offense.
Mitch defended the rim against anyone who wasn’t Luka Doncic. He challenged Luka’s attempts but couldn’t time the blocks. The rest of the Mavs relied almost entirely on perimeter shooting while Robinson was present. He also cleared the paint out for defensive rebounds.
Robinson’s averages are slightly down compared to his career bests. But his presence in the middle feels like it’s taken a step forward. He’s a true center dominating the middle most nights because the league has gone small. Robinson picks up a 4 out of 5 for his monstrous double-double.
New York’s second unit must provide more
Deuce McBride: 14 PTS (4/14 FG, 1/9 3PT, 5/6 FT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 2 STL in 46 mins
Miles McBride played big minutes thanks to RJ Barrett’s early exit. He couldn’t get a three-point shot to fall but managed some excellent finishes inside the arc. McBride flashed his midrange game and attacked the paint in transition for his points. Then he capped the game by making 5 of 6 free throw attempts in the final 33 seconds of action.
Discussing McBride’s defense feels redundant at this point. He was excellent in all situations except for post-ups against Luka Doncic. Doncic is too big and skilled in the post for McBride to contain. But Deuce did well to control everyone else, which kept him on the floor for an extended time.
There are hints of a more expansive offense in McBride’s bag. His midrange jumper was a weapon in college, and he knocked down 1 of 2 attempts at that range. He attacked the paint, keeping his dribble when nothing opened up. I’m curious to see how he improves with more reps, but he has to be more efficient. McBride gets a 2.5 out of 5 for poor shooting but strong work everywhere else.
Derrick Rose: 5 PTS (2/4 FG, 1/2 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 12 mins
I assume that defense kept Derrick Rose from playing more minutes. He looked fine on offense, despite only receiving a few touches in limited minutes. We got a glimpse of Rose’s patented floater, and he also knocked down an open three.
Rose felt mismatched against Dallas’ array of bigger guards. He was undersized no matter who he defended. That might explain his lack of usage, although I’d have preferred seeing Rose get a few more minutes to impact this game.
Jericho Sims: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 8 REB, 1 TO in 13 mins
Jericho Sims proved to be too athletic to keep off the boards. But he can’t fix the broken spacing of the second unit’s jumbo lineup. Defenses are sagging into the paint, and the entire second unit suffers. New York’s second unit has been poorly outscored in three of their four losses during this losing streak.
I like that Sims earned some minutes at center without sharing the floor with a second big man. But that was only a brief look. He needs more time in those types of lineups to maximize his impact. So for now, we’re waiting to see him get real opportunities.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 5 PTS (2/4 FG, 1/2 3PT), 1 REB, 1 TO in 12 mins
I’ll give Isaiah Hartenstein credit for trying to adjust to the awkward lineup he’s in. Hart took his corner looks and knocked down 1 of 2. But he also had awkward moments in the packed space of the paint. His one turnover was an awful pass when he should have got a shot up. Unfortunately, he didn’t add rebounding, playmaking, or much defensive prowess to make up for struggles.
I mentioned the second unit being outscored in 3 out of 4 losses during my Sims recap. Isaiah Hartenstein is the only player to post a double-digit negative plus/minus in all three instances. He’s gone from being misused to being set up to fail with the rotation he’s stuck in. So I won’t beat up on the guy for his struggles, but he has not looked good.
The defense-focused coach that can never stop star players
Tom Thibodeau’s aversion to double-teaming star players has come back to bite New York throughout this losing streak. He left smaller guards on an island with Luka Doncic throughout the night. Sixty points from Doncic later, New York had lost despite a spirited effort from every player involved.
We also see the limitations of a nine-man rotation. The Knicks are losing these games late, running out of steam, and failing to execute. We could blame their reliance on clock-killing isolations in the clutch, but I’ll also point out fatigue. While nine players see the floor, the starters routinely take on massive minutes and seem exhausted by the end of regulation.
These are the ebbs and flows of an old-school coach. When he’s winning, everything looks like a well-oiled machine. But when the team starts to spiral, we rarely see creative attempts to recapture momentum. It’s up to the players to bail out the coach because he won’t change fast enough to help. Tom Thibodeau gets a 1.5 out of 5, and I’m worried about his ability to make adjustments in any playoff series.
Closing Thoughts
The Knicks are perpetually caught in an “almost but not quite” spiral. Every time it feels like they’re on the verge of a breakout, someone gets hurt, or an opposing team’s star leaves Earth for a while. New York will flash a high upside and then take it away, sometimes as quickly as one quarter to the next.
They’re good enough to avoid making panic moves but not enough to inspire confidence in anyone. That’s a brutal spot to be in, but we’ve identified one clear need. New York needs a big defensive wing. If they don’t trust Cam Reddish to be that person, they need to find someone to fill that role. Pascal Siakim and Luka Doncic exposed this team’s weakness.
The Texas triangle continues against the San Antonio Spurs. That’s a chance to regain some footing against a bottom-five opponent. We’ll see if the Knicks get back in the win column or if panic mode begins to set in after that one. 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 Draft Talk, where Alex and Corey Tulaba discussed the 2023 NBA Draft prospects!
