The New York Knicks lost Game 2 to the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-107. The Knicks played their worst game of the season.
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The New York Knicks failed to keep up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing Game 2 of the series 90 to 107. Following New York’s victory in Game 1, Cleveland’s players spoke about matching the Knicks’ physicality and hitting back. The Cavs lived up to their promise, beating the Knicks on the glass and stepping up their intensity, ball denial, and pressure. The Knicks kept up for the first quarter but collapsed in a series of uncharacteristic turnovers and failure to compete over the next three quarters.
Cleveland used hard hedging and double-teamed on New York’s ball handlers, disrupting their flow. They traded an over-reliance on Donovan Mitchell for a heavy dose of Darius Garland and Caris Levert attacking their defenders. Meanwhile, New York’s role players shrunk for the second consecutive game.
The Knicks took a painful loss, including a flagrant foul on one of their stars and a 20-point deficit for most of the second half. So let’s see what we can salvage from the disappointing performance by reviewing everyone’s play.
New York’s starting line-up fails to respond to double-teams
Jalen Brunson: 20 PTS (5/17 FG, 1/8 3PT, 9/10 FT), 6 AST, 5 REB, 4 STL, 2 TO in 36 mins
I rarely have to worry about criticizing Jalen Brunson in these recaps. He’s New York’s consistent weapon, guiding everyone else through challenging situations. But the Cavs refused to allow him any space to work. They put big bodies on him, then threw help defenders everywhere Brunson meant to go. As a result, New York’s starting point guard struggled to operate and held the ball longer than usual. It was challenging for Brunson to find his jumper, which exacerbated everything else.
Brunson’s numbers are better than his performance. His 6 assists look better than his playmaking was, as he often dribbled for too long despite Cleveland’s slanted defense. His 20 points are marred by 5/17 shooting, including 1/8 from three. Also, Brunson’s 4 steals hide that he couldn’t contain Cleveland’s top three guards when matched up to them.
I won’t mince words; Brunson played poorly. His teammates failed to punish the Cavs for leaning in his direction, but Brunson continually dribbled into unnecessary trouble in the same respect. I’m confident he’ll adjust and respond better in the next matchup. But this performance scores a 1.5 out of 5 due to his struggles.
Quentin Grimes: 4 PTS (0/2 FG, 0/2 3PT, 4/5 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 3 STL, 2 TO in 22 mins
I expected a more aggressive Quentin Grimes with newfound confidence from making clutch free throws. Instead, Grimes barely shot the ball and only scored from the free-throw line. Grimes’ success is predicated on ball movement, which the Knicks lacked. But his inability to assert himself even to get some shots up made it easier for defenders to cheat toward ball-handlers.
Grimes will have his hands full all series on defense. He stayed in front of ball handlers well enough, except that well enough isn’t stopping Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland when they’re hot. To his credit, he did the best job of sticking to those shooters, but it didn’t change enough outcomes.
Grimes’ passive play left him with just 22 minutes of action. He should be the central piece for breaking double-team schemes, but his minutes decreased in this case. With his defense failing to change New York’s trajectory, Grimes is stuck at a 1 out of 5 for failing to have much impact.
RJ Barrett: 14 PTS (4/13 FG, 0/3 3PT, 6/7 FT), 3 REB, 1 STL in 33 mins
RJ Barrett’s series is off to a nightmare start. He made up for shooting woes in game one by defending well and creating for teammates. But this time, Darius Garland torched him in the first half, and RJ failed to register an assist. His shooting didn’t recover either — his 4 field goals came in the paint while nothing else worked offensively.
Barrett has the mismatches to have an advantage. Brunson, Julius Randle, and even Immanuel Quickley are attracting the double teams. The doubles leave RJ on an island with Garland and Mitchell to guard him, both undersized. The Canadian wing should be able to post those smaller defenders up and get some easy looks. Unfortunately, he’s not getting anywhere against those guys.
The Knicks can’t win if their third option is playing so poorly. Typically, IQ or Grimes can step up when Barrett struggles, though the third pick of any draft shouldn’t be so reliant on others so often. Barrett gets a 1 out of 5 and desperately needs to step up.
Julius Randle: 20 PTS (8/20 FG, 3/7 3PT, 3/3 FT), 1 AST, 8 REB, 1 STL, 6 TO in 33 mins
Julius Randle made 2 more threes than any other Knick. That’s my only genuine compliment for his lackluster performance. Randle struggled with doubles more than anyone else, turning the ball over 6 times and earning only 1 assist. He shot well from distance but went 5/13 inside the arc while only drawing 3 free throws. Even his rebounding took a step back from his standards.
Randle stuck around in garbage time longer than he had to, hoping to catch a better rhythm moving forward. Instead, he took a hard (arguably dirty) foul from Jarrett Allen in transition during that unnecessary time. He seemed okay, but it was a dangerous spot to be in. His push for the extra time almost hurt him; moreover, the need to take those minutes shows how out of sorts he felt.
Randle started strong but faded fast. I’m hoping his legs are getting back under him, and the hard foul he took galvanizes his team. But this performance earns a 1.5 out of 5 for the turnovers and too many easy dunks for Evan Mobley.
Mitchell Robinson: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 5 REB, 4 BLK, 2 TO in 21 mins
I’m not entirely sure why Mitchell Robinson only played 21 minutes. On a night when New York needed energy, Robinson’s blocks boosted and even sparked some transition opportunities. He may not have grabbed many rebounds, but he forced many loose balls that otherwise would have gone to Allen or Mobley. Mitch showed more fight than most teammates.
My guess at Mitch sitting so often is that spacing took precedence over the defense. The Cavs could blow up Robinson’s screens, wandering far off him to hedge. His screens also failed to make good contact with on-ball defenders. As a result, he saw virtually no action as the roll man. His limited time still earns a 2 out of 5 for including signs of life in the middle.
The Knicks’ second unit disappoints on defense
Immanuel Quickley: 12 PTS (4/8 FG, 1/4 3PT, 3/4 FT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 23 mins
I’m not giving Immanuel Quickley much credit for his 4/8 shooting night or 12 points. He played just 7 minutes in the first half, overwhelmed by Cleveland’s pressure and doubles. By the time he entered the second half, the Knicks were nearly out of the game despite being in the third quarter. So, IQ’s production came about in what was essentially extended garbage time.
His defense didn’t hold up well, either. Quickley failed to do much to stand out until the game was hopeless. But he finally found his scoring touch. IQ hit a floater, a couple of fading jumpers, and finally got a three to fall. It may have come late, but my fingers are crossed it will translate to the next game.
Without much else to say, I’ll give Quickley 1 out of 5 for failing to help when it mattered. I’m not surprised by Grimes being squeamish or RJ struggling with Cleveland’s rim protectors, but IQ’s struggles were unexpected.
Josh Hart: 5 PTS (2/3 FG, 1/1 3PT), 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 27 mins
Josh Hart played solid basketball but lacked his usual edge. We still got the hallmarks of a Hart performance, including a couple of rebounds wrestled away from bigger guys like Evan Mobley. But Hart didn’t spark one-man transitions or hit the gaps that uneven defensive positioning gave him. His rebounding was good for a guard but not up to Josh Hart’s standards.
Further evidence of Hart being slightly off was his defense. Darius Garland attacked Hart frequently, with more success than usual. New York’s workhorse struggled through screens and didn’t contest shots as effectively as we’re used to.
The deadline acquisition still put up one of New York’s better performances. But his impact paled compared to his standard output, earning a 2 out of 5.
Obi Toppin: 7 PTS (3/8 FG, 1/4 3PT), 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 15 mins
Obi Toppin came into the game early, looking locked in. He knocked down a three and turned a block on Cedi Osman into a transition opportunity. But then Thibodeau sat Obi for an extended period and didn’t look the same. Poor ball movement took some of the wind out of Toppin’s sails, though he created a bit more for himself.
I’m giving Obi a pass for poor shooting. Too many passes caught him late and off-target, forcing Toppin to reset his hands and rush his release. But he didn’t do enough in a limited time to earn more than 2 out of 5.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 4 PTS (2/6 FG, 0/1 FT), 5 AST, 7 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 27 mins
With ball handlers stymied by double teams, Isaiah Hartenstein saw more touches away from the basket than expected. He reminded us he’s capable in those situations, compiling 5 assists despite New York’s poor shooting. But Hartenstein struggled with shooting, as his floater flopped and attempts inside met mixed results.
There was a marked drop in rim protection when Hartenstein replaced Mitchell Robinson. Neither big did an excellent job hedging, as they both dropped too far and too often. But Mitch blocked players in the lane, while Hartenstein rarely made as significant an impact. But Hartenstein did help inside with rebounding.
A mixed-bag performance earns a barely passing score. I-Hart gets a 2 out of 5 for his effort.
Strange decisions from Tom Thibodeau hurt more than help
I was not too fond of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation choices. He stuck to reliable guys, even while they struggled against Cleveland’s challenging game plan. Thibodeau cut IQ and Obi’s first-half minutes, which may undercut some of the confidence they built to end the season. Those guys weren’t doing much worse than Randle and Brunson, and at least the offense was less predictable.
I don’t know if Thibodeau could do much to encourage faster ball movement. His offense relies so heavily on the high pick and roll that players were naturally waiting to go through their typical motions despite heavy ball denial. Some of the team’s turnovers came because bigs tried to lead players to cut toward the basketball, but those players were expecting handoffs. A few days in the film room might help with this issue.
In the matchup of gameplans, Thibodeau got taken to school. His rotations were head-scratching without mentioning his leaving Randle on the floor too long. Even giving him a pass since Randle requested the extra time, Thibodeau’s other decisions leave him with a 1 out of 5 for being thoroughly outcoached.
Closing Thoughts
Now that I’ve ripped the band-aid off, let’s take a bird’s eye view of the series. The Knicks may have lost ugly in Game 2, but that only means Cleveland tied the series. New York accomplished its goal of taking a game on the road. Role players virtually always play better at home, and the Knicks can play better than they showed in either game in Cleveland.
Maintaining intensity and physicality with a home crowd as the sixth man is much easier. Even so, the Cavs had to talk themselves up and sneak in some cheap shots to match the Knicks on the road. A Garden crowd is the perfect pick-me-up for a struggling Knicks’ side.
Every player who entered this game can play better than they showed. The turnovers were outliers, just like the blowout score. I expect a different New York Knicks in the Garden on Friday, and Tom Thibodeau’s propensity for the film room should only help the cause. I’ll be in the building, so maybe I really will see you next time, 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 CP, Alex, JD, and John Schmeelk discussing Julius Randle’s importance in this Knicks-Cavaliers series!
