The New York Knicks defeat the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards in their back-to-back matchup with heavy minutes for the starters.
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The New York Knicks took care of business, winning back-to-back games against the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards that felt closer than their final scores.
The consecutive wins started with a 109 to 94 victory over the Rockets. Both teams started slow, with good defense and sloppy offense. Houston stuck around with a lead after the first and a slim deficit at halftime. But the Knicks took care of business in the second half, as New York’s offense finally picked up.
Washington presented a unique challenge because the Wizards entered on two days’ rest against a New York side whose starters had played long minutes the night prior and whose sixth man couldn’t play. The Knicks led for most of the action but never got the separation needed to feel comfortable. An immaculate fourth quarter from Jalen Brunson helped seal the victory 113 to 109.
The Knicks won, but the wins took a visible toll. Tom Thibodeau leaned heavily on his starters, with the bench struggling for offense. Jalen Brunson limped through the finish line, and Julius Randle was visibly tired. But the Knicks got their wins, so let’s look at the doubleheader performances.
New York’s starters wear themselves out but play great
Jalen Brunson:
Game 1: 30 PTS (11/21 FG, 4/9 3PT, 4/7 FT), 7 AST, 3 REB, 2 TO in 37 mins
Game 2: 41 PTS (14/27 FG, 2/4 3PT, 11/13 FT), 8 AST, 8 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 6 TO in 40 mins
Jalen Brunson made a welcome return to the court for the doubleheader and finished the two games amid “MVP” chants from the fans. Houston applied pressure on ball-handlers that caused most opponents to shrink, but Brunson beat their defense with pull-up jumpers and hesi-moves to the hoop.
But we’ll remember this doubleheader for Brunson’s performance against Washington. His dominance elevated to another level, with scoring and playmaking the Wizards couldn’t contain. When Washington made a late push, Brunson responded by scoring or assisting on nearly every field goal in the fourth quarter. He carried the offense on his back through both games, but his 40-point explosion in Washington was remarkable.
Brunson wasn’t perfect. He picked up 6 turnovers against Washington and 8 for the doubleheader. But it’s hard to be mad at that when he produced 71 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds in 2 nights where the Knicks’ offense struggled without him. Brunson gets a 5 out of 5 for the pair of great games.
Donte DiVincenzo:
Game 1: 5 PTS (2/7 FG, 1/4 3PT), 5 AST, 2 REB, 2 TO in 19 mins
Game 2: 19 PTS (6/15 FG, 5/12 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 38 mins
Donte DiVincenzo had trouble with Houston, whose athletic defenders frequently chased him off the three-point line. DiVo was forced to attack off the dribble. While he struggled to finish at the rim, the Big Ragu moved the ball well with a series of quick kicks for assists.
DiVincenzo got back in his bag against Washington, finding space to fire 12 shots from three. He made 5 three-pointers, never rarely needing to dribble before finding his shot. DiVo flashed extra energy compared to his peers, particularly in breaking up Washington’s transition attacks. He had a pair of chase-down blocks, but one was called for a goaltend.
The Big Ragu should be the poster child for how important “fit” is. He slipped against Houston but went right back to punishing opponents with the Wizards. DiVincenzo gets a 3 out of 5 for the pair of games for following a tough night with a shooting gem.
OG Anunoby:
Game 1: 15 PTS (5/10 FG, 2/5 3PT, 3/3 FT), 5 REB, 4 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 43 mins
Game 2: 19 PTS (6/9 FG, 3/5 3PT, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB, 2 BLK, 1 TO in 43 mins
I’ve never seen a player take over a fourth quarter as OG Anunoby did against Houston. That’s because he didn’t put the Rockets away with overwhelming offense. He dominated Houston with defense, stacking stops that propelled New York from a close game to a big lead.
OG’s defense didn’t flash as much against Washington, but it felt crucial nonetheless. The same is true for his shooting, as Anunoby hit threes from both corners in each game. Most of his scoring came off assists for quick shots or dunks at the rim.
Anunoby’s unassuming personality suits his game. His performances don’t have a lot of flash, but every action he takes has a purpose and impact. He’s already one of Thibodeau’s most reliable players, which explains his ridiculous 86 minutes in two nights. OG gets a 4 out of 5 for playing almost the entire two games.
Julius Randle:
Game 1: 31 PTS (11/18 FG, 4/8 3PT, 5/6 FT), 4 AST, 8 REB, 1 BLK, 4 TO in 34 mins
Game 2: 21 PTS (8/17 FG, 3/8 3PT, 2/4 FT), 5 AST, 8 REB, 5 TO in 39 mins
Julius Randle came up big against Houston, hitting clutch shots down the stretch. Houston’s ball pressure may have forced him into more jump shots than usual. But it was hard to tell because his jumper hit a rhythm we haven’t seen all season. He didn’t seem to be settling; instead, he was feeling it.
Randle’s performance in Washington felt less consistent. He had miscues with Donte DiVincenzo that stood out and generally felt turnover-prone. But Randle continued to shoot well. He didn’t run the floor as often as in recent games, which could signal fatigue.
I’ll give Randle a pass for some shoddy defense and bad turnovers. He scored efficiently, made some nice passes, and grabbed plenty of rebounds in the back-to-back. He probably could have used more rest for an even better impact. Randle gets a 3.5 out of 5 for a pair of good but flawed performances.
Isaiah Hartenstein:
Game 1: 7 PTS (3/5 FG, 1/1 FT), 5 AST, 11 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO in 41 mins
Game 2: 6 PTS (3/5 FG), 3 AST, 17 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 39 mins
My only concern for Isaiah Hartenstein is whether he can keep this up. Hartenstein played fantastic basketball, with the benchmark being his 28 rebounds in two nights. He also added 8 assists from the center position and 7 Stocks. I-Hart was a force in the middle.
Give Houston credit; they’re the first team I’ve seen dunk on Hartenstein twice in one game. But he continued to challenge them at the rim for good results. Most of Big Hart’s steals came from breaking up alley-oops, so even that came from rim protection.
The mind-blowing thing about Hartenstein’s performance is that he never slowed down. Of course, he looked tired in spells, but his impact never wavered. I still hope Thibodeau can figure out how to get him extra rest to preserve him for the long run. Hartenstein receives a 4 out of 5 for a great pair of games.
The Knicks’ second unit barely plays and doesn’t produce
Miles McBride:
Game 1: 0 PTS (0/4 FG, 0/3 3PT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 10 mins
Game 2: 5 PTS (1/3 FG, 0/1 3PT, 3/3 FT), 1 REB, 1 STL in 8 mins
Deuce McBride struggled against Houston’s defensive pressure mightily. He never looked comfortable, and even the shots he got off felt forced. His lack of rhythm carried into the Washington game, where most of his production came off being fouled on a three-point attempt.
The Knicks never got into a rhythm without Jalen Brunson playing. That doesn’t all land on McBride, but it does mean he barely saw action. He averaged 9 minutes per game in the doubleheader, which isn’t enough. We need more out of McBride.
Quentin Grimes:
Game 1: 11 PTS (2/6 FG, 2/5 3PT, 5/5 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB in 16 mins
Game 2: 0 PTS (0/5 FG, 0/5 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB in 19 mins
Quentin Grimes put together a promising performance against the Rockets. When Houston chased him off the line, he attacked the lanes. While Grimes didn’t finish anything at the rim, he drew fouls or made quick, effective passes. He pumped in 11 points in just 16 minutes with quality defense and ball movement.
I wonder if stories that Grimes is unhappy affected his performance against Washington. Grimes seemed as tentative as we’ve seen since the Anunoby trade. He got good looks from three but bricked everything. It felt like his worst performance in some time, and that’s with struggles in some recent games.
I’m not ready to give up on Grimes. He’s a young player whose role has changed as much as the players surrounding him. I prefer the Knicks hold onto him and use a pick to bring in whatever reinforcements they find. But he can’t afford more performances like the Washington game. Grimes gets a 1.5 out of 5 for a decent night, followed by a miserable one.
Josh Hart:
Game 1: 10 PTS (5/11 FG, 0/2 3PT), 1 AST, 13 REB in 30 mins
Game 2: DNP
Josh Hart seemed right at home against the Rockets. Houston tried to get things going in transition, and Hart loves a track meet. The sixth man’s impact didn’t fully take hold until the second half when he began to thrive on the chaos. Hart chased down boards, then flew up the court before Houston could recover.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get to keep that momentum going. Hart sat out the second game with knee soreness related to his PCL. The already depleted bench needs him more than ever, so this is a worrisome development.
Precious Achiuwa:
Game 1: 0 PTS (0/2 FG), 4 REB, 1 BLK in 6 mins
Game 2: 2 PTS (1/1 FG), 1 REB, 1 STL in 9 mins
Precious Achiuwa showed some defensive ability in the back-to-back games. His lone field goal came in transition after he made a nice rotation on the defensive end. But he was a non-factor on offense. If Thibodeau can’t trust Precious for more than 15 minutes in back-to-back games, it’s time to give Jericho Sims a chance.
Evan Fournier:
Game 1: DNP
Game 2: 0 PTS (0/4 FG, 0/3 3PT), 1 REB in 6 mins
Evan Fournier got a few minutes in the second quarter but didn’t provide anything worth discussing.
Tom Thibodeau needs bench help
Tom Thibodeau has a dream starting line-up. Each player fits into his scheme perfectly, and their chemistry is impeccable. But the Knicks exchanged a chunk of their depth to assemble that starting unit. That’s encouraging Tom Thibodeau’s most infamous habit: leaning too heavily on small rotations and wearing out his players.
The Knicks’ bench provided nothing against Washington and only found two contributors the night prior. So, Thibodeau played his starters for nearly 80 minutes a piece, with DiVincenzo as the only exception. That’s a scary requirement to take down two non-playoff teams.
New York needs help because the starters won’t last with this workload.
Closing Thoughts
It’s frustrating that the Knicks are having one of their most successful runs in recent years, and all we can talk about is another trade. New York is 8-2 since OG Anunoby arrived, but they still have work to do. The second unit hasn’t looked good since the trade, and the core players have already seen players miss time with fatigue-driven injuries.
But how much should they be willing to pay? New York’s moves have all been a methodic build-up to their promised “Star” trade. They can’t afford to use too much equity bringing in a player for the bench because this offseason is their time to strike. That creates a complicated situation, with so many teams fighting for position in the East.
That’s why I go back to 8-2 in the last ten games. The best thing for this team would be for Tom Thibodeau to figure out how to make THIS teamwork. I’ll be ecstatic if they can bring in Malcolm Brogdon or Terry Rozier. But the front office shouldn’t be forced to make moves because their coach can’t adjust.
I want to see the rotation minutes staggered more meaningfully and play calls for guys like Deuce and Grimes to jumpstart their confidence. Jericho Sims should get a chance. New York needs a trade, but not if it costs them a better trade in the future. There are other things they can try before making a desperate deal.
The Toronto Raptors are next as we welcome back RJ and IQ. I’ll cheer for those guys unless the Raptors take the lead. I’m also focused on our bench to see where hope for growth can come. I’ll catch you next time, Knicks fam!
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