The New York Knicks took care of business, beating the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers 111 to 96.
The Lakers kept things interesting through the first half, but the Knicks’ defensive intensity wore them down. The Knicks were on the second night of a back-to-back, but they out-worked their opponents. New York wore the Lakers down, taking a big lead into the third quarter and rolling to their third straight win.
Despite runs from LA, the Knicks always seemed to have the game under control. Julius Randle was sloppy with the ball but dominant as a scorer. Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson menaced the interior. Elfrid Payton picked up the slack for a struggling RJ Barrett. This was a gritty win without the stress of a close score. Let’s take a victory lap and rewind through the performances.
Payton steps up where RJ falters, Randle goes off for the Knicks’ starters
Elfrid Payton: Elfrid Payton came up big for the Knicks. Payton stepped up as a scorer, covering for RJ Barrett, who struggled. The starting point guard stayed true to his typical playstyle but improved his efficiency. That meant Payton lived in the paint and finished his opportunities. He sprinkled in some playmaking, rebounding, and defense, but Payton’s night comes down to his 20 point game.
Payton played for 27 minutes and dropped 20 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers. He shot 9/12 from the field and 2/4 from the free-throw line. He didn’t reinvent his game but played the best version of it. That meant he was a bit more elusive about his aggression. Payton picked his spots well.
It’s hard even to nitpick a performance like this. Payton knocked down nearly every shot he took. He can always do more playmaking, but the starting unit shared those duties well. The Knicks needed a second gun, and Elfrid Payton provided the scoring necessary. His impact was undeniably strong. Elfrid grabs a 3.5 out of 5 on the night.
Reggie Bullock: A strong third quarter helped salvage Reggie Bullock’s efficiency on the night. Bullock shot poorly from three but managed to produce a little bit in many other areas. Bully’s scoring is always secondary to his defense and intangibles. Bullock turned that defense into offense for his teammates through forced turnovers. His myriad contributions across the board meant a pair of consecutive threes in the third quarter tipped his game into positive territory.
Bullock spent 31 minutes tallying 12 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. He shot 4/12 from the field, 3/10 from three, and 1/1 from the free-throw line. Bully added one of his three-pointers with a minute left against the Lakers back-up reserves, so there was a touch of stat-padding to salvage the numbers. Even without the three, Bullock’s steals that turned into offense and assists to Randle and RJ were enough to claim a decent performance. Besides his shooting, the only blemish on his night was a questionable flagrant foul call that felt like the refs throwing LA a bone.
The Knicks’ 3 and D wing shot poorly but did everything else well. I’d guess that Randle’s offensive outburst directly impacted Bully’s shooting. Randle assists a LOT of Bullock’s three-point shooting. With the big man passing less and Bully failing to convert the looks he did get, it was a recipe for poor shooting. Bully didn’t let that prevent him from contributing in other ways. He found ways to help throughout his 30 minutes of action. Bullock gets a 2 out of 5 for impact on the game.
RJ Barrett: RJ Barrett struggled for most of the night. The Laker crowded him and stripped the ball whenever he attempted to gather. Barrett’s shooting fell short as well, leaving him with few options outside of transition opportunities. The best I can offer about his performance is that he didn’t shrink and didn’t force too much. Barrett picked his spots but otherwise let hot hands handle the offense.
RJ put up just 7 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover. He shot 2/11 from the field, 0/4 from three, and 3/4 from the free-throw line. Some of the FGA’s could have clocked as turnovers. RJ struggled to protect the rock on his way up to the rim all game long. Nights like this make me miss the old Marbury gather, where he would grip the ball like a running back as he exploded into the lane. Barrett did flash some of his developing playmaking, and he’d have tallied more assists if not for New York’s abysmal three-point shooting.
The Knicks’ sophomore stud stumbled through this game. He’s had more than enough late-game heroics during the win streak to make up for this stinker. The vets picked him up and filled in where Barrett would typically be needed. That kept an otherwise rough game from feeling as detrimental to the team as it might. Those strip blocks mean transition opportunities, but the Knicks defense covered RJ there too. On the bright side, the prospect never looked dejected and found teammates off the added attention he was drawing. RJ gets a 1.5 out of 5 for the performance.
Julius Randle: Julius Randle was due for a night like this. Randle’s jumper has been hot and cold lately…more cold than hot, if we’re being honest. But his jumper was red hot, and to make matters worse, the Lakers didn’t have an interior defender to stop the big man at the rim either. That meant that Randle’s absolutely pulverized the Lakers defense. He was a wrecking ball. The Knicks’ star did play sloppy at times as a result, but he played like a shark that smelled blood all game long.
Randle pumped in 34 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 7 turnovers in 39 minutes. He shot a scorching 13/23 from the field, 2/6 from three, and 6/7 from the free-throw line. He was a battering ram, throwing himself into traffic often. The big man has had some bad habits lately, but his hot hand may have exacerbated the problem. Randle held the ball too long and dribbled into trouble, but he got rewarded with fouls or baskets more than he turned over. He got away with mistakes that could be costly against better opposition.
Julius Randle dominated this game. The crazy part is that he didn’t play his best basketball. This was Randle in blackout mode. He skipped right past “heating up” and set the net on fire with every shot he took. That made for a great performance but also allowed him to continue some troubling trends. I’d like to see him isolate less often and let his teammates create some easy looks along the way. He shouldn’t have to shoulder this much of the offense, even if the results were spectacular on this lone night. Randle gets a 4 out of 5 for his night.
Nerlens Noel: This is a carbon copy of the last performance. Nerlens Noel played the same brand of defense that has defined his entire season but added an extra layer of effort on the glass. That means he knocked loose balls away from opposing ball handlers and shooters like usual while also tipping out rebounds. Noel created extra opportunities all night, and his contributions were crucial to the Knicks overcoming exasperatingly bad three-point shooting.
Noel clocked in at 30 minutes played, shooting 2/3 from the floor and 2/2 for free throws. He finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 turnover. It was a carbon copy of his game the night before. Noel menaced the inside and got a hand on every loose ball in nearly any circumstance. His active hands gave the Lakers fits and helped deflate their momentum on many occasions.
I could spend a few extra words praising Noel’s play, but it would get redundant. He’s settled into his role on the defense as an interior presence. His recent glow-up is a result of more activity in rebounding battles. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Noel, it’s that his hands send a basketball flying more often than not. He’s using his powers for good by creating long boards for his teammates even when the ball is beyond his grip. Nerlens Noel’s impact score closes up at 3 out of 5.
Keeping up the intensity with New York’s second unit
Derrick Rose: Derrick Rose’s trends continue. He was better in the first half than second, a force on drives, and provided ample guidance as the lead ballhandler even if his playmaking tally looks low. It’s mind-blowing that Rose can still explode past multiple defenders after multiple knee surgeries and at an advanced age. He still blows by defenders and leaves havoc in his path. The turbo-boosted trips through the heart of the defense look best when he adds an element of misdirection, whether by passing, head faking, or changing directions.
Rose knocked down 14 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal in just 20 minutes. He shot 5/9 from the field and 4/4 from the free-throw line. The dip in minutes was partially due to Payton’s quality play. The Knicks started to let a fourth-quarter lead slip, and Thibodeau gave Rose a shorter hook than normal. That proved to be the right move as Rose has habitually faded in recent games. He’s not far from missing extended time, and his reliance on explosion means trouble once fatigue sets in.
Rose’s production is awe-inspiring next to his minutes played. The form Bull was in constant attack mode while on the floor. He got shots off, created for others, and played quality defense. Rose had my favorite block of the game, even with Noel and Taj rejecting plenty of attempts. This is exactly what you’re looking for from a backup lead guard and veteran on the floor at the end of the day. D-Rose is good for a 2.5 out of 5 on his night.
Immanuel Quickley: Immanuel Quickley’s minutes fell, reflecting another tough performance. IQ struggled through the first half but did find his floater late in the action. The rookie was aggressive with his touches but didn’t convert early and didn’t do much to help any of his teammates either. That was a recipe for reduced playing time, although the rook did have some pretty drives when he finally did find a rhythm.
Quickley managed just 5 points and 2 turnovers in 15 minutes. He shot 2/6 from the field, 0/2 from three, and 1/1 from the line. He tallied his first turnovers in the past 6 games. That speaks to IQ’s struggles; he’s aggressive but generally protects the rock. LA managed to force a few bad possessions out of the rookie, and it wasn’t until he got the timing on his floater that Quickley found some scoring.
A combination of factors ties into Immanuel Quickley’s recent struggles. Part of it looks like his legs. We’ve seen IQ’s free throw shooting dip some, and his three-point shot isn’t as automatic. The other part is that teams have adjusted to the kid. He’s not drawing free throws off quick pull-ups anymore, and against LA, he had to launch his floater earlier because bigs knew to step into his drives inside. The results have been up and down play, with fewer gems than tough games for IQ. He’s still a promising prospect, but we’re getting flashes more than end-to-end performances. Quickley gets a 1.5 out of 5 for his tough night in short minutes.
Alec Burks: I will beat this drum until the players prove me wrong. Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, and Immanuel Quickley don’t work well as a trio. All three players are better with the ball in their hands and fade with fewer touches. So Burks all but vanished as a scorer while Rose had it going early and tallied his only field goal when he shifted to on-ball duties in the fourth.
Burks played for 16 minutes and added 2 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block. He shot 1/5 from the field and went 0/3 from three. The shooter couldn’t convert on even his better looks. His sole field goal came on a drive inside. The struggles combined with the blowout to cut into Burks’ minutes, but he did have some contributions. Burks throw some nice passes, particularly in the second quarter, and he continued a trend of quality rebounding from a backcourt position.
All in all, this was a weak performance. We know that Alec Burks is a better scorer than those numbers, but he wasn’t effective in that role. He has a lot of microwave scoring characteristics. The shooter will start off cool but find a rhythm as he accumulates extra reps. A problem arises when Burks shares touches with two other players that need a similar share of touches and shots. I think a rotation change would help both Burks and IQ, but with the Knicks on a winning streak, that shift is unlikely. Burks grabs a 1.5 out of 5 for his night.
Taj Gibson: I want you to scroll up to the Nerlens Noel description, and it’s basically ditto for Taj Gibson. Gibson was a defensive presence at all times and gave LA fits on the glass all game long. The only difference came with Noel producing more steals, whereas Gibson did more damage with blocks. The two combined for 11 Stocks (steals and blocks) when all was said and done, leaving LA with no breaks from the defensive pressure inside.
Gibson pumped in 8 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks in 17 minutes. He shot 3/5 from the field and went 2/2 from the line. That’s a production heavy performance in less than 20 minutes of work. The cagey vet showed up big but scored extra rest thanks to Noel’s equally great play and a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. Gibson’s play warranted more time, but he could probably use the break with as much work as he’s been putting in.
The Noel/Gibson tandem caught some flack recently because they’d begun losing battles on the boards. A chunk of that came down to opposing guards and perimeter players out-hustling their counterparts. But it’s impossible to disambiguate rebound battles from the bigs. That idea holds true when the Knicks dominate the glass as well. Taj Gibson, the oldest Knick but somehow also the most energetic, was huge. Taj gets a 3 out of 5 for his night.
Obi Toppin: Obi Toppin only got about 10 minutes of action. His teammates gave him plenty of touches, but the rookie was pass-happy during his run. He finished with 3 points and 2 boards in that span, finishing an alley-oop for his only field goal out of 2 tries. He didn’t have the confidence of his previous two games, but he wasn’t terrible either.
Knox, Frank, Pelle: These guys only got a minute each of garbage time. It doesn’t look like they’ll crack the rotation any time soon, barring injuries or rest.
What leadership looks like with Knicks coaches and vets
Tom Thibodeau: The double-digit victory doesn’t mean Tom Thibodeau had it quite so easy. LA made a handful of runs whenever New York felt poised to break the game open. Thibs’ bench added to a fourth-quarter lead that reached the teens before they saw it dip to 10. Thibodeau quickly brought in his starters and let them play clean-up crew. The game may have already been decided, but it was a stamp of faith in his closers and showed the importance of playing the full 48. Thibs didn’t start garbage time subs until the Knicks took a 15 point lead about a minute left.
The focus on being effective from start to finish meant that Thibodeau leaned on his starters a bit, but the minutes balance out nicely on the stat sheet. Julius Randle is still shouldering a heavy burden, but the rest of the starters played in the low thirties for minutes. That’s a fair allotment of time for the Knicks. I’d like to see Thibodeau find rest for his best players, Randle included. This game wasn’t as much an opportunity for the rest, but it also didn’t run the starting line-up ragged.
There aren’t too many big decisions to highlight here. The big aspect from the coaches is how the Knicks’ defensive intensity stuck around all night. New York wore LA down with physicality and pressure. I joked with the rest of the KFTV crew that this felt like a trap game because I was too optimistic, but the Knicks proved me wrong. The players didn’t let up at all, and that’s a reflection of great coaching and great leadership. Thibodeau gets a 3 out of 5 for his impact on the game.
Closing Thoughts: We’re here again fam. The Knicks have made it 3 in a row, winning the hard way for a couple of games before running away with a comfortable win. That elusive 4 game win-streak is so close I can taste it. The Pelicans are a dangerous team but absolutely beatable. I’m hoping to see Julius Randle show up and punish Zion for having the audacity to be drafted ahead of RJ Barrett. I half expect it because Randle is playing a former team and because it’s the type of leader he has become.
Julius Randle’s evolution this season has come from hard work and hunger. Even in a game ridden with mistakes, he can overwhelm opponents to make up for the mishaps. That doesn’t just happen with talent. That comes from the right mentality and an insane amount of practice. The story above shows where Randle learned to work hard, Kobe Bryant. Even more beautiful than Randle literally following Kobe’s footprints is the fact that young Knicks are now following Randle’s lead. It’s a cycle of growth, why vets matter, and why leadership can be the difference between a team that thrives or flounders.
We’ll be looking at New Orleans, Dallas, and then New Orleans again. The Knicks are rolling with a nice win streak, but this has been their sticking point all year long. I think this is the perfect time to break that curse. Tom Thibodeau has finally found his closers, Julius Randle looks like he’s found his shot, and even Elfrid Payton is trending in the right direction despite being much-maligned. I’m ready for the next one and hoping for an extended run!
Stay tuned to knicksfantv.com for the latest Knicks news, recaps and rumors throughout the season and into the playoffs!
