The New York Knicks lost to the Utah Jazz 113-117. Julius Randle had another strong outing, but most of the Knicks failed to show up.
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The Knicks fell short of a comeback and lost to the Utah Jazz 113 to 117. Familiar issues popped up as the team struggled on defense and missed 10 free throws en route to a close defeat. Utah’s lead ballooned to 17 points with 6 minutes left before the Knicks finally kicked into gear. It was too little, too late.
Despite the majority of players struggling, there were standout performances. Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and Immanuel Quickley kept this game within reach. But poor shooting from three and at the line proved impossible to overcome.
Let’s look at the performances and see how this one got away.
New York’s starters shoot themselves out of the game
Jalen Brunson: 23PTS (6/19 FG, 0/6 3PT, 11/16 FT), 8 AST, 7 REB, 2 STL, 3 TO in 39 mins
Jalen Brunson’s night felt like a struggle from the opening tip. He failed to convert open looks from deep, and the struggles followed him to the free-throw line. The diminutive point guard spent most of the night visibly frustrated by Utah’s physicality. He fought for every point he managed to score.
On the bright side, Brunson filled the stat sheet. He managed 23 points despite shooting struggles and continually fed the hot hands of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. While Randle’s playmaking stood out more, Brunson led the team in assists.
New York’s leader hasn’t looked right for a while. He’s shooting 44 percent from the field and 69 percent from the free throw line over the past five games. It’s not awful, but it falls short of his standards since donning blue and orange. Despite the decent counting stats, Brunson gets a 2 out of 5 for this performance.
Donte DiVincenzo: 21 PTS (6/13 FG, 4/9 3PT, 5/7 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB, 4 STL in 27 mins
Donte DiVincenzo quietly made hustle plays for most of the first half. He played the best defense in the starting unit and fought for rebounds. DiVo didn’t start looking for his own shot until the second half, but his effort stood out even before his scoring started.
DiVincenzo became a spark for the Knicks’ comeback attempt. He knocked down threes to cut into Utah’s big fourth-quarter lead. His effort plays continued to energize the team as well. It’s a shame that the best two chances to tie the game in the closing minute went to Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
DiVo played great basketball. This was easily the best performance by a starting shooting guard in weeks. Even when DiVincenzo saw fewer touches in the first half, he impacted the game in other ways. He earns a 4 out of 5 for providing heart to an otherwise listless team.
RJ Barrett: 9 PTS (3/16 FG, 0/7 3PT, 3/4 FT), 2 AST, 6 REB in 24 mins
RJ Barrett missed shots, pressed for offense, then missed even more shots. The Jazz dared RJ to shoot threes, and he bricked every look. Barrett adjusted by attempting to attack the rim, but he met Walker Kessler and Taylor Hendricks in the paint. Which means he got blocks and shut down inside as well.
Barrett’s evolution this season had been defined by figuring out other ways to contribute when his shot is off. But that didn’t happen here. He had one of his weaker defensive performances, and pressing for offense meant he rarely made the right pass. There’s not much to hang his hat on.
This was flat-out RJ’s worst performance of the season. There’s not much else to add. He gets a 1 out of 5 for forcing the issue instead of letting the game come to him.
Julius Randle: 32 PTS (14/23 FG, 2/6 3PT, 2/2 FT), 6 AST, 12 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 39 mins
The Knicks get blown out if Julius Randle doesn’t play. Randle pumped in 12 points in the first quarter, then exploded again in the third. His scoring kept the offense afloat for those stretches, and he added more buckets during the fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
Randle’s post-play led to a slew of easy buckets, but that’s not all. He picked up 6 assists but should have had 10 or more. The big man consistently made smart kickouts to wide-open shooters, but Brunson and Barrett shot the ball like a Carlton Banks game-winner. Randle also feasted on the boards.
I’m not exaggerating when I say Randle should have had a triple-double. He carried the offense while Brunson and Barrett struggled. The big man has played like a star since bouncing back from his early slump. Randle gets a 4.5 out of 5 to continue his hot streak.
Jericho Sims: 4 PTS (2/2 FG), 2 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 18 mins
Jericho Sims had a couple of dunks that leaped off the screen. But he was too quiet for a starting center. Sims failed to impact the boards, his most important role for the starting unit. I’ll credit him for a few well-set screens, but that’s about all.
Sims’ biggest issue came on the defensive end. He had multiple miscommunications with teammates about when to switch or stay home. Those led to a multitude of easy dunks and layups for the Jazz. I don’t imagine our youngest center losing minutes to the freshly acquired Taj Gibson, but this level of performance leaves that door open. Sims gets a 1 out of 5 because he jumps too high to be this invisible.
The Knicks’ second unit gets one good performance
Immanuel Quickley: 15 PTS (6/8 FG, 3/4 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 18 mins
Immanuel Quickley’s minutes make no sense. He entered the game and knocked down the team’s first two three-pointers of the action. While everyone else missed shots, IQ made his open looks. That alone should warrant more minutes. But Quickley barely broke 10 minutes in the first half and played even less in the second half.
Quick’s only struggles came in man coverage on Talen Horton-Tucker. We’re used to IQ playing great defense, and he came up short on that end. But he was always an offensive spark, and it makes no sense that he watched the vast majority of clutch time from the bench.
I’ll stress this again: Quickley played well but didn’t get the minutes he deserved. That’s on Tom Thibodeau, not IQ. Quick receives a 3 out of 5 for pumping in 15 points in just 18 minutes.
Quentin Grimes: 2 PTS (1/4 FG, 0/3 3PT, 0/2 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 16 mins
Quentin Grimes looked tentative again, passing up open looks and failing to make a three-pointer. He hit one long-distance shot, but his foot was on the line. I don’t believe he attempted a jumper until the second half. Grimes’ most memorable moment came when the crowd went wild as he missed two free throws, and the arena won free chicken sandwiches.
Without Grimes shooting much or well, the neophyte didn’t get enough minutes to make a mark defensively. This performance didn’t look much different from his struggles with the starters. He didn’t assert himself, couldn’t get touches, and failed to make a mark on the game. I’ll give props to Julius Randle for actively looking for Grimes, but even that didn’t help.
Grimes gets a 1.5 out of 5 because he wasn’t as bad as RJ or Sims to warrant a 1.
Josh Hart: 0 PTS (0/5 FG, 0/4 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL in 29 mins
Josh Hart could have done with 10 fewer minutes. He started the game ducking under screens and leaving Lauri Markkanen open to splash threes. Lauri’s jumpers closed the gap on an early Knicks’ lead. Hart eventually played more active defense, but he never lived up to his typical standard on defense or as a rebounder.
To compound Hart’s defensive woes, he couldn’t score. He missed all his threes and showed no willpower to challenge Walker Kessler inside, an understandable choice. That means Hart managed 0 points in nearly 30 minutes of action.
Worst of all, Hart missed a game-tying three with 27 seconds left in the action. So, he defended poorly, didn’t score, and missed the best opportunity to tie the game. Hart makes the third player with a 1 out of 5 for his lack of positive impact.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 7 PTS (3/4 FG, 1/1 FT), 6 REB, 1 BLK in 29 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t good either. He had standout moments, sparking passing sequences with ball movement and blocking would-be dunkers. But he also let Walker Kessler torch him during essential moments in the fourth quarter.
Still, Hartenstein played a solid role in the middle. He converted his opportunities, got after offensive boards, and passed well despite lacking assists. It was a decidedly mediocre performance worth a 2.5 out of 5.
Tom Thibodeau’s worst coaching performance in a while
Tom Thibodeau’s head-scratching decisions start with him limiting Immanuel Quickley’s minutes. I’m not sure what purpose that serves other than to push IQ to look for another coach in the offseason. It certainly didn’t help the team against Utah.
But I’m equally frustrated with Thibodeau’s execution out of timeouts. The Knicks had a chance to tie the game with 30 seconds left, and Thibodeau drew up a play that left the ball in Josh Hart’s hands. I love Hart’s game, but he’s one of the last players I want to shoot a game-deciding three-pointer.
Take away Mitch and Thibs’ defense collapses. Contain Jalen Brunson, and Thibs’ offense looks shaky. Tom Thibodeau needs to do his players a favor and make some adjustments.
Closing Thoughts
This is the most frustrating loss of the season. We watched lackadaisical players, questionable coaching decisions, and an ugly loss. Plus, we had to stay up late to watch it. I went to bed salty and woke up even more frustrated. This team has some injuries, but it’s still better than that performance.
The most painful part of the loss is that there are no easy games on the upcoming schedule. The Knicks needed to create some cushion for the tough stretch but came out flat. There’s no excuse for a hangover game on a Wednesday night in Utah. Though, I wouldn’t mind Leon Rose trying to acquire Lauri Markkanen.
Hell, the month starts in Phoenix on Friday and LA a day later. We could be in for a frustrating stretch if the Knicks don’t figure some things out. But New York has played up to competition for most of the Thibodeau era, so my fingers are crossed for pleasant surprises. I’ll see you next time with a double-header recap after the Clippers game on Saturday, Knicks fam!
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