The New York Knicks clung to a lead late, beating the Celtics reserves 96 to 92 in their final regular season game.
The Knicks had a 17 point lead with eight minutes to go in regulation but let their foot off the gas and almost paid the price. The Celtics attempted more than 40 three-pointers to keep this game close despite sitting seven key players. To New York’s credit, they seemed to have this game in control before stagnating in clock-killing isolations that proved ineffective for most of the fourth. They got just enough offense to hang on, thanks to some late-game heroics by Nerlens Noel on defense.
Julius Randle got off to a hot start but cooled. RJ Barrett was a brilliant scorer that couldn’t get touches late. Nerlens Noel was a force on defense, and Alec Burks was a force for the bench. Other players struggled compared to their norms, with a few exceptions who stepped up. Let’s take a look at how the Knicks locked in their fourth seed for the post-season.
Barrett and Noel step up big for the Knicks’ starters:
Elfrid Payton: I can deal with a play that’s struggling, but poor effort is unacceptable. Elfrid Payton closed the season on a sour note. He came in under the 15-minute mark that earns an impact score, but barely. In 14 minutes, Payton scored 0 points on 0/4 from the field and put up 1 assist to 2 turnovers and 4 rebounds. He was blocked on 2 out of 4 attempts, both turnovers were the result of lackluster passing, and he didn’t look engaged at all. His body language and performance are lagging just as the post-season approaches with all of its intensity.
There’s an example of Payton making no effort to be involved in a play. He was late getting back on defense after drives and not involved in many Knicks’ transition opportunities either. This isn’t just a matter of struggling anymore; he’s barely giving a token effort at times. It’s time to pull the plug before the intensity increases and margins for error shrink.
Reggie Bullock: Reggie Bullock finished his season with another sharpshooting performance. Bullock’s three-ball was lethal as ever, accompanied by a midrange pull-up that proved equally effective. He added a few notches to every part of the stat-line, dishing and rebounding along the way. But it was Bully’s timely shooting that proved most important once again.
Bullock played 34 minutes and put up 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 6/9 from the field and 4/7 from three. If I have a complaint, it’s that he missed a couple of open looks when the Celtics were making their late push for a comeback. But sandwiched between two missed three-pointers, Bullock pump-faked a closing defender and hit a pull-up jumper. He made plays, plain and simple.
Bully has played this way most of the season. He started the game 4/4 from three, and while that shooting cooled off, he found other ways to help the team. From drawing fouls on cuts, hitting midrange shots, and making plays on defense; Bullock did a bit of everything without requiring the ball in his hands. That’s the player we’ve had all season. He’s been great. Bullock gets a 3 out of 5 for his impact in this win.
RJ Barrett: RJ Barrett should have had a bigger game. He closed the second quarter with a few nice baskets and then erupted in the third quarter for 14 points. Barrett turned defensive rebounds into full-court attacks, dribbling the length of the floor and finishing through groups of Celtic defenders at a time. His transition game was overwhelming, and when that failed, RJ hit jumpers or got to the line. Barrett registered his longest three of the season, hitting a 31-footer during his torrid third quarter. Unfortunately, the third quarter was as good as it gets.
Broadway Barrett turned in 7/12 shooting, 2/4 from three, and 6/8 from the free-throw line over 33 minutes of action. He clocked 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists to 1 turnover. He did all of that damage in the first three quarters. Barrett sat for most of the fourth, coming in with 5 minutes left but spending that time watching Randle and Burks take turns in isolation. That reduced the sophomore to a floor-spacing distraction on a night when he was the Knicks’ most consistent offensive presence. New York barely scored in the final 8 minutes, and nobody thought to feed the hottest hand on the team.
RJ had a great game, one that flashed his potential to take over games through his combination of deep shooting and strength. Barrett even attempted a couple of midrange pull-ups, knocking one down. The only thing holding the sophomore back was iso-ball from teammates during an extended clock-kill in the fourth quarter. That put a lid on his performance which was fast approaching dominant. Barrett scores a 4 out of 5 despite getting no love in the fourth quarter.
Julius Randle: Early success with the jumper led to too much settling down the stretch for Julius Randle. The big man kicked the game off with a three, an assist for three, and another three of his own. From there, he chose to post-up and shoot over shorter defenders but rarely took them to the basket. His jumper quickly fell off, and his scoring became relegated to free throw line conversions. It’s telling that the one key bucket he made late in this game came on a drive all the way to the basket. He bricked jumpers and turned the rock over in the rest of his late-game isolations.
Randle spent 37 minutes accumulating 20 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. He shot 5/17 from the field, 2/5 from three, and 8/10 from the free-throw line. Those are solid numbers but not up to the Allstar’s standards. He was far better as a passer in this game than a finisher, which comes down to making life easy for on-ball defenders. He continued to settle for contested jumpers instead of taking players inside. Hopefully, the break gets his legs ready to go back to bulldozing.
We’ve come a long way for 20, 7, and 7 to represent a disappointing performance for Randle. He’s been so good that I’m spoiled. But the reality is that his fourth-quarter play was worrisome. The Knicks failed to muster much offense in the fourth quarters of two consecutive games. Those two games came against play-in teams, one depleted down to its reserves. The Knicks can’t afford to be this ineffective against the Hawks in a series. Randle has to be better to close. He still gets a 3 out of 5, but better execution late would have meant a much bigger impact.
Nerlens Noel: I’m not sure if it’s fair to call Nerlens Noel the unsung hero of this game. His contributions weren’t actually unsung; they were loud plays at crucial moments. Noel picked up two big blocks to secure a three-point lead with one minute to go in regulation. He accumulated Stocks at a ridiculous rate yet again, and every block was worthy of a highlight. So Noel, with his low scoring and fairly low rebounding, still managed to be an obvious key player in the hard-fought win.
Noel went 1/2 to finish with 2 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in 32 minutes. He saved his best for last with those two blocks in the final minute, as well as a crucial defensive board. The rest of his steals and blocks helped spark multiple transition buckets, including his lone-made field goal, which came on a fast-break alley-oop feed from RJ Barrett.
The shot blocker didn’t put up any outlandish numbers but visibly changed the game. His defensive play sparked momentum shifts and led to long spells of Celtic futility. The Celtics had way too many small guards trying to finish at the rim with Noel hanging around. He could have doubled for a volleyball player. He’ll have a much steeper test when Clint Capela is the nightly match-up, but Nerlens Noel closed the season on two fantastic defensive performances. He grabs a 3.5 out of 5 for his clutch rim protection.
Alec Burks provides all the bench scoring:
Derrick Rose: The Celtics didn’t let Derrick Rose have anything easy. The former Bull was forced to rush some floaters and shots as players chased and closed on him hard throughout the game. We still got flashes of vintage D-Rose finishing, but they were scattered between misses and resets more often than we’ve become used to. Rose also ceded touches to Alec Burks, who had it going offensively.
Rose played 23 minutes for 7 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds, and 1 turnover on 3/9 shooting and 1/1 from the charity stripe. It’s extremely rare to see Rose put up more attempts than points and also rare to see the assist tally so low. He’s generally been a quality orchestrator even when his scoring takes a backseat. But the ball wasn’t in the former MVP’s hands for most of this game. With Alec Burks shooting well, IQ needing touches, and late-game focus on isolation. Rose didn’t get to operate with the ball in his hands nearly as often as normal…I think we need to change that for the postseason.
This was easily one of Rose’s weakest performances in the past month. He never got into much of a rhythm to make the offense gel. That can happen when other players have it going, but I was concerned late when the Knicks didn’t let their point guard run the offense to protect a lead. Julius Randle has been great, and Burks is a fourth-quarter scorer, but Rose could get them easier looks than an isolation affords. Instead, D-Rose looked like a backup for a change. He gets a 2 out of 5 for his night.
Alec Burks: Alec Burks chewed the Celtics up by knocking down threes whenever they went under screens. All but one of Burks’ buckets came behind the three-point line, and most were unassisted. He was a menace off the dribble, but less so inside the arc. His efficient scoring made it somewhat easy to overlook that Burks did no playmaking despite spending a significant share of touches as the main ball handler.
Burks put up 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers in 25 minutes. He shot 6/10 from the field and 5/7 from three. That’s quality production for the scorer, but I have a few nitpicks. No assists to 2 turnovers is a bad look for a player that spent chunks of time as the point guard. He also failed to get to the free-throw line, which points to a game that was relegated to the perimeter too often. Thibs’ system works best when the lead ball-handler gets into the lane, but Burks struggled with that aspect. That’s not to say he was bad though, the Knicks needed every bucket the bench scorer could muster.
My problem with Alec Burks’ performance isn’t that it was bad, but that it didn’t live up to his recent play. Burks has been at his best when he mixes in some playmaking and throws defenses off balance by attacking the lane. He was ineffective in those areas against Boston’s third-stringers, settling for jumpers and out-of-control on some drives. He was still a quality player, crucial to the win…but Burks is better than that performance. He gets a 2.5 out of 5 for efficient scoring but not much else.
One last side note, I have no clue how Burks didn’t get credited a block. He swatted a Tacko Fall attempt that looked cartoonish because of the size difference. It was reminiscent of when Nate Robinson blocked Yao.
Immanuel Quickley: Immanuel Quickley got a bunch of looks he typically cashes in…and bricked them. His struggles saw his minutes dip below the 15-minute threshold for an impact score. In 14 minutes, IQ shot 1/7 from the field for 2 points and 1 rebound. His only bucket came on a nice drive and floater. He went 0/3 from three despite being open, and it generally just looked like an off night. He has a week to get that ankle right and find his shooting stroke again. We’re gonna need the rookie’s scoring!
Obi Toppin: Obi Toppin continues to log short minutes but produces in the time that he gets. The rookie went 3/5 for 6 points and 2 boards in 10 minutes. He started the game on a bank shot that would make newly inducted hall-of-famer Tim Duncan proud. Then Toppin flashed his athleticism and body control to finish inside on a pair of takes. The rookie played well and probably could have used a couple more minutes to see if his momentum would build.
Taj Gibson: Taj Gibson started his night off with a baby jumper but was quiet most of the way. He still added a unique brand of physicality and effort to the Knicks’ play, but this perimeter-oriented game didn’t play into his strengths at all. Gibson was solid but relegated to a forgettable night in his shortened playtime.
Gibson played 16 minutes, dropping 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block on 2/4 shooting. He didn’t fly off the screen for anything other than a nice finish when Luke Kornet pulled the chair out on a post-up. Other than that, Taj was methodic in tallying some solid numbers for his fifteen minutes of action.
Taj contributed a solid 16, nothing special or gaudy but good production in limited time. He didn’t pop for much positive but didn’t do anything negative either. With little else to say about his game, I want to shout out his season. Gibson came in late and was quickly bumped from a third-string insurance policy to a consistent rotation player. He’s embraced leadership both vocally and by example. He closed the season as a solid bench contributor, but his impact on the year goes well beyond the numbers. Gibson gets a 2 out of 5 for his performance against the C’s.
Frank Ntilikina: Frank Ntilikina got his one play of the night. Coming in to defend the last possession of the third quarter and producing a steal within seconds. That was all for Frank, but I like to see that he got his feet wet in the last few games of this season.
Tom Thibodeau still needs to figure out his closers
Tom Thibodeau: I can’t pin what had Tom Thibodeau playing the Burks and IQ backcourt to close these last two games of the season. They have firepower, and Burks was scoring, but stagnation developed in consecutive games. Thankfully, Thibs shifted Rose into the line-up with a few minutes left and a lead to cling to…but then the ball still moved through Randle and Burks first. Usually, I try not to complain too much in a win, but third-string Celtics almost pushed the Knicks to a 6th seed during the ineptitude.
Thibodeau didn’t make too many big decisions. He stuck to a rotation we’ve grown used to for the most part. There was a clever move to let Frank close the third, which promptly led to a steal by Ntilikina. The other choices just fit a typical game mold, and none of them felt as important as going away from ball movement late. The Knicks didn’t close games well all year long, and the iso-heavy approach was almost catastrophic.
Beyond the concerns about closing games out, there is a 41-31 record. New York overachieved to the extreme. The Knicks have quickly become a reflection of Thibodeau’s famed defensive mindset. He spoke about corner three’s as a focal point, and the Knicks led the league in that area. For the first time in a very long time, it feels like the Knicks have a reliable coach at the helm. He may have his quirks, but Thibodeau had a great season and deserves to be the coach of the year. However, for this game, I’m giving him a 1.5 out of 5…Go back to Rose sooner, please!
Closing Thoughts
Now we wait for the playoffs. The season played out at a torrid pace. There was barely time to get down on a loss or ride victory highs before another chance to change the narrative approached. These New York Knicks showed up with an effort that was constant and unmatched dedication. They were humble enough to trust each other but never appeared doubtful that they can compete. This team and this season was special. It’s one I won’t soon forget.
The timing couldn’t be better either. I’ve spoken with many a Knicks fan that felt stress and strain in their personal life over the course of this past year but who found the Knicks and their community of fans as a welcome escape. New York’s team showed a resilience that can inspire and created a place where we could forget about the stress for a while. I can state without a doubt that I’ve had one of my toughest years on this Earth, but having these games to follow and recaps to share with you has been something to look forward to all season long. So thanks to all the fans who made this so much fun, thanks to every reader that supported the work I’ve done here, and thanks to the Knicks for such an incredible season.
The Hawks are next in a best of seven series. They have scoring threats galore and closed the season strong, but Julius Randle has dominated the series match-up every time out. The Knicks owned that season match-up and will have home-court advantage to boot. It’s been nearly a decade since playoff basketball at the Garden, and I’m looking forward to seeing what magic has been lingering in the rafters. We get a week to watch other teams fight for position while our boys gear up for the postseason. I’ll see you after the postseason begins and hopefully celebrate a win, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to knicksfantv.com for the latest Knicks news, recaps and rumors as the playoffs approach!
