The New York Knicks defeated the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers 106-104. Tom Thibodeau played a Julius Randle and Obi Toppin lineup to close.
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The New York Knicks came back from 12 points down to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 106 to 104. Tom Thibodeau changed the rotation with Quentin Grimes starting, but that starting unit didn’t gel immediately. The team scored just 37 points in the first and third quarters combined, with a slew of turnovers in the process. In addition, the whole rotation was in a bit of disarray as Mitchell Robinson was hurt, which meant Thibodeau had to be creative to succeed.
Succefrontcourth a frontcourt combination of Obi Toppin and Julius Randle. While those two boosted the offense, Cam Reddish provided quality defense to add to the unlikely closing combination. They joined Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett to give a different look for the Knicks, with success to follow.
There’s much to discuss, so let’s get into the individual performances.
The Knicks try a new starting unit
Jalen Brunson: 23 PTS (7/15 FG, 1/4 FG, 8/9 FT), 7 AST, 6 REB, 1 TO in 36 mins
The most intriguing part of Jalen Brunson’s night is how methodic his production felt. He didn’t have any crazy scoring runs. Instead, he took what the defense gave him for consistent production throughout the night. When the floor opened up in the fourth quarter, Brunson shined on a few forays inside.
Brunson might have clocked even more assists, but he threw a few passes that would-be shooters had to chase after. That stood out mainly because it’s rare for the Knicks’ point guard. His seven assists to one turnover are no fluke, and he was even better reading the floor than that suggests.
Now add six rebounds to Brunson’s already impressive night, and you’ve got a recipe for a big night. While Obi and Cam were the heroes in the fourth, Brunson’s consistent presence kept the game within reach earlier. He contributed to the late comeback as well, but like the rest of his production, it came within the flow of the offense.
Brunson’s impact warrants a 4 out of 5 and some unsung hero status. I get the sense Obi and Cam will be the talk of this game, but Jalen Brunson was arguably New York’s best player.
Quentin Grimes: 2 PTS (0/1 FG, 0/1 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 1 BLK in 15 mins
There wasn’t much time for Quentin Grimes to find his rhythm despite the start. He picked up a tacky foul off a Randle turnover and would sit for the half after his second found shortly after.
That meant Grimes had zero flow when he returned to start the third. He applied some defensive pressure but even felt slightly off on that end. That left him with the team’s worst on/off split and an early hook in both halves.
With Grimes returning from a lengthy injury break, this may have been a case of too much, too soon. His combination of rust and foul trouble left him out of sync and unable to do much beyond drawing a foul on one drive. Grimes is stuck with a 0.5 out of 5 for his impact, but let’s give him time to get his feet under him.
RJ Barrett: 22 PTS (8/16 FG, 2/8 3PT, 4/6 FT), 2 AST, 9 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 37 mins
Outside of a few errant passes, RJ Barrett had a solid night. He continually attacked the basket and finished some tough shots in traffic. The former top pick seemed like the only starter with a pulse in the third quarter, making a pair of nice plays in response to a 7-0 run by Tyrese Maxey. Poor three-point shooting capped his offensive impact, but he was still good.
Barrett was a more mindful playmaker than his assist tally suggests. He made some solid reads, but the passes weren’t precise enough for sure buckets. Nevertheless, he’s certainly taken a step forward from the tunnel vision and forced shots we saw early in the season.
It’s also worth shouting out RJ’s recent defensive improvement. His defense fell off a cliff in some games, but he’s much closer to average lately. That allows some good rebounds to push his defensive impact into positive range. Barrett gets a 3 out of 5.
Julius Randle: 17 PTS (6/13 FG, 1/4 3PT, 4/5 FT), 5 AST, 10 REB, 1 BLK, 6 TO in 37 mins
The regression to old habits felt complete as Julius Randle committed four turnovers before the first half was over. He slowed possessions down only to spin into traffic and be stripped. On top of that, the big man hesitated to shoot, taking extra dribbles that allowed defenders to close out. We saw all of our least favorite staples from his game.
The struggles took away from some impressive work inside. Randle made nice moves in space, but he was fishing for looks in traffic far too often.
The good news is that Randle stopped forcing shots as the game wore on. His pairing with Obi Toppin left enough room to turn some post-ups into assists. The former all-star also fought for some rebounds to keep that group effective on the glass.
Lastly, that final pairing allowed Randle to use his athleticism in a few switches on defense. He’s a more helpful defender on a switch than a drop. So Randle’s performance wasn’t as bad as the numbers suggest, salvaged by a nice fourth quarter. He picks up 2 out of 5, but the turnovers are unacceptable.
Mitchell Robinson: 0 PTS (0/0 FG), 1 AST, 2 REB in 12 mins
Early in the game, Mitchell Robinson took some contact and came away hobbling. He attempted to play through an obvious issue, but his mobility was constrained. The big man would leave the game for the locker room before half-time and never return.
Late-game heroics off the bench for New York
Immanuel Quickley: 4 PTS (1/7 FG, 1/4 3PT, 1/1 FT), 2 AST, 6 REB, 2 STL, 4 TO in 21 mins
Virtually all of Immanuel Quickley’s positive production came in the first half. He knocked down his only shot, a three-pointer, and started grabbing boards quickly. While IQ’s assist tally is light, he had a standout dime to Randle. It felt like Quickley was on his way to a big game.
But poor shooting and turnovers put a lid on Quickley’s impact. He couldn’t get anything to fall after that first three, and he failed to protect the ball as the game wore on. It was like watching a different player in each of the sixth man’s two stints on the floor.
Quick’s saving grace was rebounding and defense. As brutal as he was in the latter half of the action, he stayed after the glass and played respectable defense. That isn’t enough to make up for an inefficient night, but it does salvage a 1.5 out of 5 rating instead of something worse.
Cam Reddish: 11 PTS (4/4 FG, 1/1 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK in 15 mins
Cam Reddish was fantastic in his fifteen minutes of action. The most important aspect of this was his defense on Tyrese Maxey. Maxey took control of his match-ups with shorter defenders, but Cam’s size disrupted his attempts inside. Reddish was also ever-present in the passing lanes.
Reddish reined in his shot selection and let the game come to him on offense. The developing wing didn’t force shots, which meant some nice dimes when Cam might have missed a tough attempt. But when he received the ball with defenders off-balance, Reddish was still prepared to attack the paint.
New York doesn’t win this game without their mercurial forward playing at his best. If Tom Thibodeau can unlock Cam’s potential, then the ceiling for this entire team can rise. So, we’ll hope that this represents a step toward consistency. Reddish gets a 4 out of 5 for his massive stamp on this game.
Obi Toppin: 17 PTS (6/10 FG, 3/6 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 REB, 3 TO in 20 mins
Obi Toppin only played 6 minutes in a quiet 1st half, but he exploded in the second half. Toppin missed his first two three-point attempts, but that didn’t affect his confidence when more opportunities came. Toppin knocked down crucial shots from long range, helping to erase the Knicks’ 12-point deficit.
The high-flying big man’s energy is always infectious. This time that energy led to 13 points in the fourth quarter alone.
More importantly, Obi’s defensive play held up next to Julius Randle. The pair gave up some offensive rebounds and had a few miscommunications, but nothing that can’t be attributed to their lack of reps together. They benefited from a lack of a smaller Philadelphia front court without Embiid. But they have enough height to be viable against plenty of opponents.
Toppin’s performance was far from perfect. He sad some poorly timed turnovers while trying to do too much handling the ball. But Obi’s impact was outsized and positive overall, worth a 3.5 out of 5 for the night. It would probably be higher if he had more time to work.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 8 PTS (4/8 FG, 0/1 3PT), 10 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK in 21 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein provided very productive minutes in covering for the injured Mitchell Robinson. He stayed busy on the boards and added some points in the paint. But, unfortunately, he also partook in the most brutal stretch of a 16-point third quarter for New York.
Hart’s defense was locked in for this game. He challenged shots at the rim and kept up with a tough assignment in Montrez Harrell.
Hartenstein still saw his minutes trimmed thanks to the success frontcourtpin and Randle frontcourt. That left his final impression from the third-quarter meltdown. Hart’s production still warrants a 2.5 out of 5, but it may take time to gel with the new look starters.
Evan Fournier: 2 PTS (1/4 FG, 0/2 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 14 mins
Evan Fournier seemed like a player looking for his fit with a new line-up. That’s the charitable explanation for his somewhat passive approach to this game. He forced a couple of shots but spent most of this game speculating.
The performance could have been a listless response to being benched. But I don’t think Fournier’s that type of player. Instead, I’m guessing he needs to adjust to the new role. Fournier’s struggles lead to a 1.5 out of 5 for his forgettable impact, but hopefully, a match-up with Boston will help him find a rhythm.
Derrick Rose: 0 PTS (0/2 FG, 0/1 3PT), 1 AST, 1 BLK, 4 TO in 7 mins
Derrick Rose entered the game for his typical rotation but quickly tallied four turnovers. He never found his game, and Tom Thibodeau didn’t use him in the second half. Saving Rose’s legs for Boston isn’t a bad idea.
Jericho Sims: 0 PTS (0/0 FG), 1 REB in 5 mins
Jericho Sims took on some emergency minutes, but the entire team looked like a mess during that stint. He left the game sporting a +/- of -12 after just 5 minutes.
A creative approach from Tom Thibodeau brings rewards
It felt uncharacteristic for the typically stubborn Tom Thibodeau to make a starting line-up change so early in the season. But nobody was complaining about the quick change after a debacle against Atlanta. Thibodeau wasn’t done tinkering, though. His rotation went eleven players deep with mixed and matched groupings.
That led to some wildly out-of-sync combinations, but it eventually landed on a rotation that worked. Thibs finally gave Obi and Randle a chance to pair up, and they rewarded him with a comeback victory. That erased lingering lousy energy from the last outing in what felt like a must-win game despite how early we are in the season.
It’s tough to say what sparked Thibodeau’s creativity. The injury to Mitchell Robinson indeed forced some changes. But Thibodeau extended his rotation before Mitch was out, and he’d changed the starters before the game tipped off. So I’m giving him a 3.5 out of 5 for throwing everything at the wall until something worked.
I’ll take this experimental approach and tinker over the stubborn rotations of the past any day! If it’s broken, at least TRY to fix it.
Closing Thoughts
It’s time for our daily dose of reality. As nice as the win felt, that comeback hides a problematic part of the night. New York had to claw its way back against a Philadelphia team without its two-star players. The Knicks barely stole a win from the Sixers’ B-squad. That’s a sobering thought as Boston comes to town today.
But the Knicks left Philadelphia on the highest of high notes. They’ll hopefully carry momentum and energy into the second leg of the back-to-back. Tom Thibodeau’s creative approach turned a listless-looking team into an energized bunch down the stretch. He even sounded inspired while discussing the next steps for an Obi and Randle tandem to work.
Boston is a genuine contender, with an early MVP candidate in Jayson Tatum. But they also played in a close game before traveling to New York. Tatum logged 40 minutes, and Boston’s role players didn’t get the breaks afforded by Tom Thibodeau’s expanded rotation.
That’s right, Knicks fam. I’m telling you that this is a golden opportunity to steal a game from an elite opponent. These are the games on the schedule where Tom Thibodeau’s grit-and-grind style can make a difference. He’s even got an excellent opportunity to test the Obi/Randle combo again because Boston’s only big man is Luke Kornet.
I will likely be very enthusiastic or frustrated after this next game. Contenders have made the Knicks look bad lately, but this is a chance to flip the narrative. Those kinds of opportunities only happen now and again throughout the 82-game season. So I’ll see you here after the Boston action and see where everyone stands. 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 the analysis and fan reactions from when the Knicks played the Atlanta Hawks!
