The New York Knicks lost home-court advantage to the Atlanta Hawks at the buzzer 107 to 105 in game 1 of the series.
The Knicks found themselves in a neck and neck battle after a slow start. Players seemed tight and missed their typical looks for a chunk of the early going. New York’s bench was its lifeline, coming in to provide much-needed shooting and playmaking. The shooting woes for some key players weren’t as worrisome as the defense though, the Knicks failed to contain Trae Young all game long, and it was Young who hit the game-winner with .9 seconds left to play.
Derrick Rose and Alec Burks led the way for New York, as Julius Randle and RJ Barrett struggled with their shots. The rookies made solid contributions in their own rights, while some vets were surprisingly quiet in this crucial game. It was a battle from start to finish, with a lost challenge and a broken play that wound up in an open three-pointer costing the Knicks at the finish. Let’s take a closer look at the action and rate some performances.
Knicks starters look tight in the pressure cooker
Elfrid Payton: Elfrid Payton only played 8 minutes, which begs the question, “why start a player that’s not even getting 5 minutes per half?” His struggles continued as he went 0/3 and notched 1 assist as his only mark on the stat sheet. But Payton didn’t play enough minutes to shoulder much blame. Most importantly, he didn’t have much luck slowing down Trey Young, and with no other production, he’s got to defend better. No impact score in the short time for Payton.
Reggie Bullock: Reggie Bullock spent the entire second half of the season shooting lights out but came up short in his first significant postseason action. Bullock got looks that have become routine and simply couldn’t convert. He went without a three-pointer and failed to make a significant impact anywhere else on the stat line. Even his vaunted defense felt forgettable as he played fewer minutes than normal and the Hawks backcourt put up strong performances.
Bully managed 6 points and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes, shooting 3/9 from the field and 0/5 from three. This comes from a player who shot 43% from three since March. Bullock looked tight, a theme that runs through the entire starting line-up. He got to his spots and played his game for the most part, but the results were poor, and he sat for his struggles.
Bullock’s tough night is a nice tone-setter for how the game went for the starters. They were able to generate the looks that they’re used to, but shots rimmed out. The defense never quite clicked like we’ve been used to either. That left Bully with a weaker impact than anything we’ve been accustomed to since his early-season struggles. This feels like a few first-game jitters more than anything that Atlanta did. I expect a bounce-back in game two…another trend for starters. I’m grading Bullock’s impact a 1.5 out of 5 in this one.
RJ Barrett: RJ Barrett had another memorable second half, but his three-pointer kept his performance from hitting another level. Barrett’s three-pointer went the way of Reggie Bullock’s; the same looks that he has consistently hit throughout the season were bricks in this one. The sophomore did find success getting into the lane and pushing in transition, though. He had some bully ball finishes in traffic and got the highlight of the night when he put Bogdan Bogdanovic on a poster. RJ also produced on the boards, helping the Knicks win the rebounding battle.
Barrett spent 32 minutes accumulating 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 assist on 6/15 from the field, 1/6 from three, and 1/2 from the free-throw line. He did most of his damage in the third quarter. Low assists and no turnovers speak to the fact that RJ got fewer opportunities to attack in the half-court. New York even went away from his signature high pick and roll to start every game; they ran him off-ball for a catch and shoot instead.
Barrett had one strong quarter and three forgettable ones. He still managed to be a contributor with his rebounding when he wasn’t scoring, but this game lacked the bite of his better performances. The sophomore’s another strong candidate to have a comeback performance, as the Hawks left him open for too many jumpers. He’ll make them pay if that continues to happen. But for this game, Barrett’s double-double still falls short of his typical impact. Barrett gets a 2 out of 5 for his impact on this one.
Julius Randle: Julius Randle didn’t pull any punches in the post-game, “I’ve got to be better, and I will better. I’ll just leave it at that.” Randle had a bad game. He settled too often for difficult jumpers and couldn’t convert even the better looks that he got. New York found most of its success by getting to the basket, but Randle shied away from that approach. He was also hurt by shooters failing to convert on his passes. The big man is right. He’s got to be better.
Randle finished 36 minutes with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 turnovers. It’s not a bad stat-line until you factor in 6/23 from the field, 2/6 from three, and 1/2 from the free-throw line. Randle couldn’t buy a bucket for most of the night, although he did convert a big three-pointer late in the night. The big man saw plenty of switches and match-ups with undersized guards, but he failed to punish those moves as he would take turn around jumpers in anticipation of double-teams.
The good news is that despite Randle’s struggles, the Hawks barely scraped together a win. The bad news is that Randle’s had some shooting woes over the last stretch of season. He shot under 40% from the field in 5 of the last 10 games of the regular season and converted just 26% of his attempts in this game. The Hawks represent a nice opportunity to get right, though. Beyond Clint Capela, they don’t have the size or rim protection to keep Randle out of the lane without a double. He should be able to attack inside and either score or find open shooters. Keep an eye on his free throw attempts. He should be getting to the line more as soon as he stops settling from midrange. For this single performance, Randle’s impact grade bottoms out with a 1.5 of 5.
Nerlens Noel: Nerlens Noel’s impact is usually measured in defensive highlights. He picked up a couple of nice blocks against the Hawks but failed to impose his will on defense the way he does during his best games. Noel only grabbed one defensive rebound but did create space for Barrett and Randle to clean up the boards. It’s telling that New York won the battle on the boards despite their shot blocker barely registering on the glass.
Noel put up 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in 24 minutes of action. He shot 2/3 from the field, including a baby jumper, and converted both of his free throw attempts. The big man was better than his numbers but still far from his best. During Noel’s best games, he can take small stretches over with his rim protection alone. There was none of that here, just a couple of scattered blocks.
Noel’s game falls firmly in the “meh” category. He did a commendable job against a tough opponent in Clint Capela, but there’s a big gap between commendable and good. Noel failed to slow down the Hawks pick and roll attack while Capela grabbed 13 boards to go with 9 points. It’s not a good match-up to begin with, but the first game of the series looked a lot like confirmation that Noel’s a bit outmatched. Hopefully, the big shot-blocker can bounce back with a bigger impact in the next one…he limped out of this game, so we might need to worry. Noel grabs a 2 out of 5 for this one.
New York’s second unit energizes the team and the Garden alike
Derrick Rose: The Knicks kicked into gear when Derrick Rose hit the floor. He added pace and poise to a listless offense earlier and made frequent visits to the paint throughout the night. Rose wasn’t flawless, though. He was sloppy in ball protection, which led to his second-highest turnover rate since being traded to the Knicks. While the former MVP was better against Trae Young than Payton, it wasn’t a big improvement. So, even while Rose was one of the Knicks’ best players…he can be better than what he put up here.
Rose rocked for 38 minutes and managed 17 points, 5 assists to 5 turnovers, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 8/16 from the field and 1/4 from three. The former Bull was in his bag on explosions to the basket. He blew by opposing defenders for quick finishes on multiple occasions. He hit a game-tying floater in the final minute that showed nerves of steel. Asking the vet to play for nearly 40 minutes seems like much, but the team tends to struggle without him on the floor.
Rose was the Knicks’ second-best player on the night. He was far from flawless but still provided a crucial spark. Rose gave the Knicks some sorely needed scoring and playmaking while chasing Trae Young around for most of the night. My biggest concern is that he’s being asked to do too much. A few extra minutes for RJ to playmake and more opportunities for IQ with the ball in hand could take some pressure off Rose to constantly create, and hopefully, that curbs the turnovers. Rose gets a 3.5 for his positive impact on this one.
Alec Burks: Alec Burks had a solid game through three quarters before exploding in the fourth. Fourth-quarter Burks is nothing new. He’s been one of our go-to clutch scorers all season. Against the Hawks, it started with drawing free throws on a jumper and then a drive. With a few opportunities to cash in easy looks, Burks moved on to hitting pull-up jumpers from all over the floor whether he was inside the arc or out.
Burks played 26 minutes and put up 27 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 turnover. He put up more than a point per minute on a ridiculously efficient 9/13 shooting, 3/5 from three, and 6/8 from the charity stripe. Burks played smart, controlled basketball, and that led to buckets or assists the whole way through. Thibodeau might have regretted not playing his bench scorer for longer minutes.
There’s no doubt who the best player on the Knicks was for this game. Alec Burks came in and put pressure on the defense from the moment he hit the floor. As crunch time closed in, Burks rose to the occasion and took his game to another level. Where other players showed up tight, Burks had his A-game. He’s the reason this game was close late. Burks gets a 4.5 out of 5 for the scoring outburst.
Immanuel Quickley: Am I the only person that felt this coming? Immanuel Quickley has played with ice water in his veins all year long, so stepping up for the biggest game of his young career felt inevitable. IQ was perfect from three, including a pull-up from a couple of feet behind the three-point line. He also hit a couple of those patented floaters through traffic. Despite fairly limited minutes and sharing touches with the two hottest hands on the Knicks, Quickley made his mark on this game.
IQ shot 4/7 from the field and 2/2 from three in 21 minutes of action. He tallied 10 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 turnovers. The rookie was strong with the ball in his hands and a threat whenever he was off-ball. If there’s a blemish on this one, it’s that most of the production came in a second-quarter outburst. Quickley was relegated to an off-ball distraction role as Burks, Rose, and Randle handled most fourth-quarter reps. Even then, he hit a circus shot on a drive to the basket with his limited looks late.
Quickley made the most of his opportunities. He shot the three-ball well while virtually everyone else shot miserably from deep. It only happened in fleeting moments, but I liked the few times that IQ lined up to defend Young as well. He closed out and contested shooters regardless of who he was defending. The kid was fired up and played the game with composure and poise well beyond his years. Quickley gets a 3.5 out of 5 after a quality performance.
Obi Toppin: The loudest pop of the first half came on an Obi Toppin dunk. The rookie high flyer also hit a three-pointer during that run. He still came in under the fifteen-minute threshold, finishing 12 minutes with 5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist on 2/3 from the field and 1/2 from three. Obi played solid minutes and contributed while he was out there, but finding more minutes against an oversized Hawks frontcourt might be challenging.
Taj Gibson: Taj Gibson made a lay-up for an and-one late in the game and hyped the crowd up as if they had just witnessed a dunk. It was one of his only 2 shots in the game, but the reaction reflects his timely scoring and contributions. Taj doesn’t put up gaudy stat-lines, but he puts up numbers that really count. There’s no fake hustle to his game, and in the postseason, that’s even easier to appreciate.
Gibson put up 5 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 emphatic block in 24 minutes. He shot 2/2 from the field and 1/1 from the free-throw line. Gibson generated 5 offensive rebounds and was probably responsible for a couple more chances off batting loose balls to teammates or off opponents and out of bounds. He was a physical presence for Tom Thibodeau.
While I won’t say that Nerlens Noel had a bad game, I do think that Taj Gibson outperformed him. Gibson’s a bit more mobile which helps in pick and roll situations against Young. No one did a great job containing the Hawks scorer, but the bench felt more effective at the point of attack and covering the roll men. Gibson also made a mark on the boards, and he managed to make his fourth and fifth points feel like the most important baskets up to that point. Taj gets a 3 out of 5 for a nice performance.
Frank Ntilikina: Frank Ntilikina came in to defend on the final play of the game. He went from sitting for 47 and a half minutes to guarding one of the best scorers in the league. Trae Young scored, but it wasn’t exactly a fair ask to put Frank in cold for the game’s biggest play.
Tom Thibodeau’s dilemmas after losing home-court advantage
Tom Thibodeau: Tom Thibodeau saved his challenge for a crucial moment late in the game. RJ Barrett had barely touched Trae Young, who sold the contact with a blatant flop that drew a whistle. Tony Brothers upheld the call…it had to be Tony Brothers. Who picked this ref? Was it Nate? Is this what whining about the NBA wanting the Knicks to win gets? We got news that the NBA was looking at shoddy ways players like Young draw free throws, and I felt Thibs made the perfect challenge only to lose anyway.
And that’s the story of Thibodeau’s night. He made some good decisions, but they always came up short. Frank Ntilikina makes sense as a defensive sub but putting him into a pressure cooker after sitting all game seems unfair. Payton got an even quicker hook than we’re used to, but his 8 minutes with no production looms in a game decided by 2 points. Thibodeau called time-outs at the right times and generated decent looks out of them…but shooters were missing. The Hawks, on the other hand, came out of timeouts to generate more than one alley-oop.
Now Thibodeau has to wrestle with some decisions. Is it fair to use Payton and Frank the way that he has? Payton barely gets a chance to prove anything, and Frank barely gets his legs stretched before having to make key stops. I still don’t think Rose, Burks, and IQ on the floor all at once is the best use of any of them…not enough touches for the three-ball handlers that apply so much pressure. It’s also worth asking whether Obi has earned more minutes on nights when Randle isn’t shooting well…that could have a two-fold positive impact in resting Randle more and keeping a productive player going, but it could also backfire big. Thibs will have to wrestle with all of this, and he’ll need to be better just like Randle. Thibodeau gets a 2.5 out of 5 for his coaching in a tough loss.
…and Tony Brothers gets a 0 for letting Trae Young play that soft brand of free-throw chasing in the postseason on the road.
Closing Thoughts: It wouldn’t be Knicks basketball if they weren’t making things hard for themselves. New York has given away homecourt advantage just as quickly as it got it. They’ve got pressure to win this next game and avoid hitting the road down 2-0. But there’s plenty to be optimistic about. Look at the three-point shooting. Look at Randle’s night. Then look at how close this game was, right to the wire despite 30 and 10 from Trae Young. It took an off night for the entire starting unit AND a monster performance from Trae Young to eke out a win.
The Knicks are better as underdogs anyway. We’ve seen them take lumps and come back stronger all year long. It would be a shame to break that trend when the postseason rolls around. I expect a few big performances in the next one. Shout out to the Garden faithful too. I attended this one. MSG was electric. The bars all around the area were filled with blue and orange jerseys; the Garden was on fire with chants from very early one, and I think that energy will translate to a big advantage once players get past first playoff game jitters.
We’re stuck waiting until Wednesday for the next one. That’s a lot of time for Thibodeau to make some adjustments against Trae Young. Hopefully, Tony Brothers isn’t the ref…The Knicks can change the momentum fast and hopefully establish a more physical and defensive tone for the series moving forward. We’re down 1-0, but that just means it’s time for New York to snap into gear. We’ll see how Randle, Thibs, and the whole crew respond to this latest adversity and discuss it here. I’ll see you then, Knicks fam!
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