The New York Knicks made a statement in the Atlantic Division, defeating the 76ers for the first time since 2017 by a score of 112 to 99.
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Despite a competitive game early, New York took control from the moment the second unit hit the floor and never looked back. The Knicks had 62 points at half-time, and that scoring was shared between every player to touch the floor. Their effort lasted from the opening bell to the final buzzer with the crispest ball movement all year. The lead ballooned to 27 points in the third quarter before Philadelphia made a run to chip away but never get close to a comeback. It was a dominant victory over a high-caliber opponent.
The newcomers seized the day with Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier leading the scoring. Mitchell Robinson played brilliant defense against MVP-candidate Joel Embiid. They were able to rest well as the entire second-unit showed up and handled business. There’s a lot to like about this victory, let’s have a closer look at the successful campaign.
Walker’s shooting and Robinson’s defense lead the way for the Knicks’ starters
Kemba Walker: Kemba Walker got his offense going with a 10-point outburst in the second quarter. Once that offense started rolling, he never looked back. Walker got wherever he wanted through screens, and knocked out jumpers off pull-ups and catch-and-shoot opportunities alike. This was easily his best game as a passer as well. The New York native is looking more comfortable with each game, and that took New York’s offense to another level against Philadelphia.
Walker turned 28-minutes into 19 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover. He shot 7/15 from the field and 5/11 from three. By the end of the third quarter, he was drawing double-teams when he flew through screens. The attention that he drew freed up even Julius Randle for wide open looks. His defensive play was also a step ahead of previous performances. Walker seems to draw a charge a game, but he also played the passing lanes and challenged shooters consistently.
With Randle and Barrett struggling, Kemba Walker stepped up to be the engine of the offense. He and Fournier punished the Sixers defense for focusing on Randle. They did exactly what they were brought onto the roster to do. If Walker can be this player consistently moving forward, then stopping the Knicks starters will be near-impossible on most nights.Walker’s just finding his place in this offense, and already starting to adapt. The New York native gets a 4 out of 5 for his best performance as a Knick so far.
Evan Fournier: Speaking of stepping up for Barrett and Randle, Evan Fournier put together another fine performance. Fournier was lethal from three and successful off-the-dribble as both scorer and playmaker. He was a disruptive force on defense as well, despite a lack of defensive tallies. It seemed like any time the French wing was involved in a play, good things happened.
Fournier played 32-minutes, picking up 18 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 block. He shot 6/10 from the field, 4/6 from three, and 2/2 from the charity stripe. His offense was silky smooth, taking advantage of the extra attention paid to Julius Randle and later Kemba Walker. This made the Knicks free agent acquisition a perfect complimentary player whether he was playing the two-man game or waiting on the weak side to capitalize on space.
There wasn’t much that Fournier could do wrong. The only mistake I can recall standing out is when he waited a pinch too long to shoot a three, proving there is such a thing as too open. The early returns on new wing’s contract have been overwhelmingly positive. He’s a perfect fit in an offense with multiple ball-handlers. Fournier gets a 4 out of 5 for providing a second-option without needing many touches.
RJ Barrett: It seemed like RJ Barrett was ready to break out of his slump as he scored a 8 quick points to start the game. But after the brief run, Barrett was back to missing shots. He began pressing for production which only meant turnovers and bad possessions. The early work was enough to flash his potential, but struggles after made it clear that Barrett’s still figuring out how to fit without frequent touches to find rhythm. He’s finding offense in spurts, which will hopefully become more consistent in time.
Barrett collected 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 turnovers in 31 minutes of play. He shot 4/10 from the field and 2/4 from three with three of the makes coming in the opening few minutes. The turnovers came from Barrett losing track of defenders behind him, as the ball was often poked out from behind him. He’s flashed development as a playmaker but his ball-handling still has room for growth. He can make space by bulldozing through players, but his agility and speed have limited his ability to get around defenders otherwise. He could take note from some of the craftiness that Fournier applies.
Although this isn’t the RJ Barrett we were hoping for offensively, he’s making strides. We’re seeing more aggression in the half-court and the shot is beginning to fall after a pair of atrocious shooting nights. That said, the top-three pick still has to make sure that his aggression is efficient. The starting unit has too much firepower and not enough defensive cohesion to waste possessions. RJ also continued a habit of getting dragged too far off his man, which led to open three-pointers and backdoor cuts from his defensive match-ups. He’s having a strong year defensively, but that’s his next point of growth. Barrett gets a 2.5 out of 5 for moving in the right direction, although he’s not quite there yet.
Julius Randle: The beauty of this game was that Julius Randle saw everything but the kitchen sink from Philadelphia and still managed a decent showing. By drawing the lion’s share of attention from Philadelphia, Randle opened the floor for Walker and Fournier to run up the score. That said, there were enough questionable shots to believe that Randle has room for improvement in his decision-making. The big man showed increasing trust in his teammates as time wore on, but he took some frustration heaves early. Those shots are a double-edged sword. They keep the attention on New York’s MVP but come at the expense of an extra pass for a better look.
Randle played 36-minutes and dropped 16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 turnover. He shot 7/18 from the field, 2/5 from three, and didn’t attempt any free-throws. No trips to the line despite 18 attempts is astounding for the star, especially seeing Embiid steal almost all of his points by drawing fouls. That said, Randle was dealing with tricky double-teams that Philadelphia masked the timing on while Tobias Harris held his own in the post. Randle gradually got a hold of things by working the two-man game with Walker and Fournier. I also enjoy a wrinkle in the offense that sees Randle handle the ball through screens from the guards.
Randle’s numbers don’t quite show how tough he was defended. He snuck a couple of extra offensive rebounds and lay-ups in during garbage time. That said, it was impressive to see him rising above fresh-legged defenders for dunks even in his 36th minute on the floor. The big man is in incredible shape and while we’ve seen second-half slowdowns from other starters, Randle continues to play with force every minute out there. There’s a reason that he and Mitch came on to shut down a brief comeback attempt from Philly in the fourth. Randle gets a 3 out of 5 for a near triple-double against heavy defensive attention.
Mitchell Robinson: It was finally time for Mitchell Robinson to flex his muscle against one of the elite bigs in the NBA. Mitch passed his test with flying colors. New York’s shot-blocker held his ground and forced Joel Embiid to play from the outside-in throughout the game. Robinson matched Embiid’s physicality and stayed in front of him, while help defenders forced the MVP-candidate to rush his moves on offense. Mitch did bite on some jab steps and pump fakes, which led to foul trouble. But look no further than Embiid’s 2/7 night from field for proof that New York’s shot blocking big man had a huge impact on this game.
Robinson played for 29-minutes, picking up 7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. He was a perfect 3/3 from the field and 1/2 from the free throw line. It might seem like a pedestrian stat-line, but the reality is that his defense may have been the most important factor in New York’s dominance. Embiid looked exhausted before the third quarter finished, as Mitch forced him to work for every point. Embiid is arguably the best center in league, but managed just 14 and 6 with 5 turnovers. Robinson had double-team help, but he did the lion’s share of the work anchoring the defense.
I’m not exaggerating about how important Mitchell Robinson’s defense was. His presence and strength kept the Knicks from losing shape. With Curry, Green, and Harris starting; the Knicks had to time double-teams or trust Mitch to hold on his own. The third-year big did everything that could have been asked against a potential MVP. For the massive impact on defense, Mitch gets a 4.5 out of 5.
Ankle breakers, dunks, and three-pointers from the Knicks bench
Derrick Rose: Watching Derrick Rose check-in as the Knicks’ search for fluidity is soothing as chicken soup. He hasn’t put up gaudy numbers in his first four games, but his impact is outsized. Philadelphia had an early lead that felt like it began to evaporate the moment Rose touched the court. He knocked down some shots and set up other ball-handlers to help everyone settle into the flow of offense. When the Knicks needed a basket, he could make a move inside and capitalize. But the former Bull also seemed content to let his teammates shoulder the offense as long as they were comfortable and effective.
Rose only needed 20-minutes for 13 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers. He shot 4/7 from the floor, 1/2 from three, and 4/4 from the line. The difference between this season and last is how easy it looks for Rose to control things. He can step aside and let hot hands run the show in the half-court, swing some lovely transition passes, and choose his spots to hurt the defense. The former-MVP’s jump shot has never looked better. That’s turning him into a floor spacer even as a decoy from the weakside.
The beauty of this performance is that Rose seemed to spark everyone moving well, but then stepped back and let them handle the show. He has a quiet confidence that seeps through the players sharing the floor with him. As Rose goes, so does the bench. The sixth-man was able to score some extra rest thanks to Kemba Walker’s fantastic night. We’re finally seeing how overwhelmed a defense looks when it faces both New York point guards at max-strength. Rose nabs a 3 out of 5 in a humble but effective appearance.
Immanuel Quickley: Tyrese Maxey might be rethinking his friendship with Immanuel Quickley after that play…you know which one I’m talking about. IQ crossed up Maxey and sent him bouncing across the floor. Quickley launched and made a three-pointer to complete the play. I’m pretty sure he said, “bing bong” right as he released the shot. On a serious note, IQ didn’t get a ton of touches to work with but had some of the best highlights of the night and was effective with limited looks.
Quickley logged 15-minutes, making 2/5 attempts, 1/3 threes, and 3/3 free-throws. The first make was that infamous three and the second was a not-quite dunk on Andre Drummond. I’m not sure that we’ve seen the sophomore ever get that high. He put up 8 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, and 2 turnovers in that time. The assist was a pretty one, manipulating the defense and threading a tight needle into the lane. He tried that again and turned it over, but we can see Quickley learning trickery as a passer. He’s always been a nightmare to cover as a ball-handler and shooter. Now his cleverness has seeped into playmaking although it’s a work in progress.
We don’t give IQ enough credit for being a solid defender. That might be due to some lapses like his miscues with Obi Toppin in the fourth. It might also be because he’s matched with bench players that aren’t as threatening as stars who start. Either way, Quickley’s 15-minutes saw solid production and good defense for the most part. He didn’t get the touches to bring his impact beyond bench-player value but this was a poised performance with flashes of upside. IQ gets a 2 out of 5 for a nice game, but the great games are still to come.
Alec Burks: I honestly thought that Alec Burks had a better game than his numbers indicate. That still might not be enough for fans who want to see more reps for IQ or opportunities for Quentin Grimes. But Burks had an impact by leveraging his shooting threat to dribble past his initial defender and create havoc inside. That led to some nice passes even if he only clocked 1 assist. Burks’ jumper still hasn’t come into form, but he’s getting his looks and it’s a matter of time before he heats up.
Burks played 17-minutes and managed 8 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot just 2/7 from the field, 1/3 from three, and 3/3 from the free-throw line. I’ve already mentioned that the shooting doesn’t concern me yet. I like the looks that he’s getting. His ability to pull-up from anywhere with space is enough to maintain his gravity. This is the second time in a row that New York seems to put the ball in Burks’ hands more frequently. They’re looking to get him going and despite the low shooting numbers, I think the results are beginning to show. It feels like Burks is heating up similar to Kemba last game.
The performance still doesn’t match what we saw from Burks last season. It’s a crowded roster and he’s seeing less time to get going. For a microwave scorer, a few extra minutes could be the difference between a big scoring run and low-efficiency night. Burks asserted himself well with the minutes that he got. His impact was more positive than the raw stats show. Similar to IQ, he didn’t get the time to break past a role-player’s performance score but his 2 out of 5 is a move in the right direction.
Obi Toppin: A couple of second-half miscommunications on defense cut Obi Toppin’s night short, but he still managed to have an impact. Toppin was in constant motion, finishing inside on lay-ups, dunks and putbacks. On more than one occasion, he put the ball on the floor and forced the defense to chase him out of position. Toppin put up 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover in just 12-minutes. He was 4/7 from the field, 0/1 from 3, and 1/1 from the free throw line. His speed put pressure on the Philly big men all game long.
Taj Gibson: While we heap praise on Mitchell Robinson for excellent defensive performance, let’s save some roses for Taj Gibson as well. Gibson covered for Mitch during spells of foul trouble. The veteran big brought even more physicality than his bigger counterpart, which meant frequent fouling and limited production. But it also meant that Joel Embiid never caught a break. He’d push Robinson to the bench only to be poked and prodded on offense while getting dragged outside by a surprisingly aggressive Gibson…Gibson tried a step-back three from the baseline fam!
Tom Thibodeau’s favorite vet logged 19-minutes for 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. He shot 2/5 from the field and 0/2 from three. But it was important that he kept going right at Embiid and didn’t lose his physicality when the big body was Andre Drummond instead. Gibson’s game wasn’t pretty, but that seemed to be intentional. He forced an ugly, gritty kind of match-up on Philadelphia’s bigs.
Gibson’s night is the most obvious example of the Knicks’ gameplan. Doc Rivers mentioned in the post-game that Philadelphia had lost by the end of the first-quarter because New York’s physicality took them out. While Mitch and Randle were the main drivers of that approach, Gibson made it really obvious. He was pulling, grabbing, and playing an overall mean kind of game. It was reminiscent of streetball when things get a little too competitive for a pick-up on blacktop. Gibson grabs a 2 out of 5, because his numbers are as ugly as his game was…and that was the beauty of his whole performance.
Strange rotation choices late prove costly for Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau: Only Tom Thibodeau would pick up a technical as his team leads by 22-points. The man seems determined to keep his team from losing focused no matter the circumstances. There’s work to be done instilling a “foot on neck” attitude to this team. They let up a couple of second-half runs that amounted to taking time off on defense because the lead was comfortable enough not to chase Furkan Korkmaz or Georges Niang around with gusto. Thibodeau wasn’t having it. He called timeouts and was quick to bring in Randle and Mitch to tighten things up. I like the message these blow-out lead technicals and timeouts send.
It’s hard to point out many notable moves beyond the freak-outs with a 20-plus gap. The feather in Thibs’ cap for this game comes from his game planning. New York bounced back from an ugly loss by literally looking to beat-up an opponent that has been all too comfortable in the Garden these past few years. I mentioned above how Doc Rivers recognized his sinking ship as the physicality took Philly’s heart like a Kano fatality. The quick bounce back from a letdown and the refusal to rest on big leads are aspects of winning culture.
So maybe I’m being too nice, but it’s hard not to score Thibodeau with high marks even though there wasn’t much to do once the game started. He stuck with his rotation and game plan because it was effective. There wasn’t a need to do much adjusting. Thibs found something to do by keeping his team focused despite the big lead. His players have routinely taken big leads in second-halves but now he has to help them hold those leads. It’s important because we won’t see Grimes or McBride without a massive cushion…that’s just the Thibodeau way. For keeping everyone on task and making a statement, Thibodeau locks in a 4 out of 5 on the performance score. It’s a 4.5 if he finds minutes for the rookies, but he didn’t so there’s my nitpick.
Closing Thoughts
My optimism from the last segment of closing thoughts has been rewarded. One of the most endearing characteristics of last year’s Knicks was how they responded to adversity. They took punches and punched right back, even if they’d sometimes slip-up. This year’s version seems poised to take the hits and respond just the same, but they’ve got more talent so the strikes hit harder when they rebound. New York was looking for a statement and if double-OT against the Celtics didn’t do it, this game might have. You can feel the change from energy in the Garden and the way national announcers are showing love. The Knicks had a bad reputation as a laughing stock for the better part of two decades, but now the jokes on anyone who underestimates them.
That’s not to say the job is done and there’s no room for growth. These Knicks are still learning to close out games without loosening up when they see a big lead. They’ve beaten two good teams, but even the Garden crowd was asking “where’s Ben Simmons?” in acknowledgment that Philadelphia wasn’t at full strength…also to troll a rival. The Knicks as a playoff-caliber team might surprise some, but the fans already expected that. They need to keep beating quality opponents to prove that they’re a legitimate playoff threat regardless of their foe. The physicality of a 7-game series ought to play to their advantage, especially now that they have firepower behind it.
Next up is the last undefeated team in the East. The Chicago Bulls made big offseason upgrades and have been one of the most entertaining teams to watch play. They’ll bring a pace to match the Knicks’ with dangerous scorers on the wings and a big man that can drag Mitch to the perimeter. It’s a fantastic test for both squads as they seek to enter the conversation with the proven contenders of the conference. It’s guaranteed to have some highlights and likely to be a whole lot of fun to watch. I’m yearning for the old rivalries that I grew up within the ’90s and who better than the Bulls to be a part of that?
I’ll see you after that one where one of these two upstarts will have sent a message to the league and the other will be licking wounds to prepare for the next challenge. See you then, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors and recaps throughout the 2021-22 season! And in case you missed it, check out the KFTV opening week recap where the panel previews the upcoming Knicks vs. Bulls matchup below.
