The New York Knicks defeated the Dallas Mavericks and are on a three-game winning streak. Expect positive reviews for everyone.
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The New York Knicks are on a three-game winning streak after crushing the Dallas Mavericks 107 to 77. The beauty of this performance is how the stars picked each other up in each half. RJ Barrett dominated the first half while Randle struggled to get going. Then Randle picked Barrett up after the Mavericks adjusted and tried to come back. All the while, the Knicks’ pair of stars got help from a supporting cast that moved the ball and hit timely shots.
But I’ve saved the best for last. The Knicks’ collectively had their best defensive game of the year. The second unit, in particular, showed off crisp rotations and quick closeouts. Their play must have been infectious because even Fournier and Burks sprinted to shooters. Even Tom Thibodeau made a quick adjustment when Luka Doncic exploded in the third quarter.
We arguably have the best Knicks effort of the entire season. They’ve won three games in four days. Suddenly, the play-in game looks attainable, but significant obstacles are waiting. So let’s take a closer look at the performances that pushed New York past the Mavs as a showdown in Memphis looms.
Barrett starts hot and Randle closes strong for the Knicks’ starters
Alec Burks: 15 PTS (4/13 FG, 3/10 3PT, 4/4 FT), 5 AST, 11 REB, 2 TO in 39 mins
Despite his poor efficiency, Alec Burks added another promising performance to his recent run. He shot the ball miserably for most of the first half but came alive later. The microwave scorer was a frequent recipient of kick-outs from RJ Barrett. The pair had fantastic chemistry that helped ball movement throughout the starting unit. Burks didn’t knock down all his open looks but made just enough to have gravity that helped slashers.
Burks shined as a playmaker and rebounder. He didn’t just feast on long rebounds but grabbed some in traffic. Some excellent dimes accompanied the double-double in points and rebounds. I especially liked that Burks wasn’t settling for his first read. Burks had a baseline drive to set up a tough post-up for Randle but found RJ Barrett cutting instead.
The scorer turned point guard is finding a groove. His collective production was more than enough to make up for a tough shooting night. I expect his shot to come around when he gets the looks he got in Dallas. If he can shoot well and keep up his rebounding and playmaking, then he’ll have found last year’s qualities and then some. Burks gets a 3 out of 5 for his strong impact on the win.
Evan Fournier: 10 PTS (4/9 FG, 2/6 3PT), 2 TO in 25 mins
Evan Fournier had a tough first half but got some offense going by the third quarter. His humble ten points feel more impactful because of timing. When Luka Doncic pushed Dallas to cut a 29 point lead to 14, Fournier managed multiple scores to help keep the run at bay. That doesn’t mean Fournier had a great game, but it adds value to a forgettable stat-line.
I’ve complained in recaps when Fournier’s box score looks like this. He didn’t contribute any assists or rebounds. But rather than linger on his struggles, I’d like to laud signs of effort. With the Knicks up by 28 points, I still caught Fournier sprinting to close out on a shooter.
Fournier’s numbers and production were light. Alec Burks took a more assertive role in the offense, which moved the French wing to a fourth option. But I can’t knock Fournier’s hustle or effort. Despite fewer touches and a massive lead, Fournier remained engaged. The Frenchman gets a 2 out of 5 on impact, but I wasn’t mad at his effort.
RJ Barrett: 18 PTS (7/16 FG, 0/3 3PT, 4/5 FT), 4 AST, 7 REB, 1 TO in 38 mins
RJ Barrett’s first half looked dominant. He took advantage of the Mavs’ lacking a shot blocker for easy finishes around the basket. Barrett also hit a couple of mid-range jumpers, but his three-ball never came around. The Mavericks collapsed and sent doubles to shut RJ down in the second half. That kept his scoring at bay but opened the floor for others.
My favorite moment of the game came after a Burks dime to Barrett. RJ visibly pointed to Burks and found the shooter open on the next play. Barrett manipulated the defense to repay a favor after receiving a nice pass. It’s a play that displays Barrett’s growth as a playmaker during this stretch.
The crazy part about an 18 point, 7 rebounds, and 4 assist night for Barrett on good efficiency is that it’s kind of disappointing. I’ve been spoiled by Barrett’s explosive scoring lately. That said, I’m not complaining here but pointing out just how good the young star has been. Barrett gets a 3.5 for carrying the first half.
Julius Randle: 26 PTS (8/19 FG, 3/7 3PT, 7/10 FT), 5 AST, 8 REB, 2 TO in 34 mins
Julius Randle’s impressive run continued in hometown Dallas. But it started slow, as he made just one of his first eight attempts. Randle wouldn’t heat up until the third quarter when he decided to tank his way to the rack. The star took the offense’s reins and pushed back against a big run from Luka Doncic. When Doncic slowed down, Randle stayed hot by adding three-pointers to his already impressive performance.
We know that Randle is a good rebounder. We know that Randle can make some brilliant reads and passes. So I’ll focus on his defensive play this time because it was strong. I referenced tighter rotations above, and Randle was a big part of that. He embraced switches and even guarded Luka Doncic a few times.
My favorite part about this performance is that it was a turnaround. Randle’s game sometimes feels like it can spiral with struggles. But he refused to lose concentration or confidence until his offense came around. Maybe being home helped, but this was a composed and impressive performance. For turning a rough game into a dominant night, Randle picks up a 4 out of 5 for his performance.
Mitchell Robinson: 11 PTS (4/4 FG, 3/4 FT), 11 REB, 2 STL, 3 BLK, 1 TO in 24 mins
I wish Mitchell Robinson were 100 percent for this game. On more than one occasion, he looked labored or even woozy as he ran around the floor. Mitch left the Kings game with dizziness and didn’t look himself against the Mavericks. But when he was locked in, Robinson dominated his match-up with Dwight Powell.
Mitch gave us all of his hits. He dunked anything he grabbed inside, and he scooped rebounds at both ends of the court. When the Mavericks tried to attack him on defense, Mitch blocked their shots or denied entry passes for steals. It is even more impressive with the knowledge that he was getting over an illness.
Take one more look at those numbers from Mitch. He posted a double-double with five stocks (steals/blocks) in less than 25 minutes. That’s incredible production under his circumstances. Robinson has become a force in the middle, and my only complaint is that we haven’t extended him yet. Mitch picks up a 3.5 out of 5 for a brilliant game in limited minutes.
Quickley and McBride spark New York’s second unit defense
Immanuel Quickley: 9 PTS (2/8 FG, 0/4 3PT, 5/6 FT), 6 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL in 31 mins
Immanuel Quickley’s shooting came back down to Earth. He couldn’t get a three-pointer to fall and had to rely on drawn fouls for most of his points. But the sophomore still managed to impress thanks to his propensity for drawing whistles and finishing inside. He hit a nice floater and an even nicer layup through contact against a center.
IQ’s most impressive attribute was his playmaking. With his shot failing, Quickley still managed a positive impact by moving the ball well. He continually got past his first defender and fed cutters inside when help came. That meant alley-oops and layups for the big men on the Knicks. It’s an impressive way to produce because New York had to play small for chunks of this game.
Despite the poor shooting, IQ’s streak of quality performances continued. He was a driving force for yet another win. The Mavs’ third-quarter push abruptly ended when Quickley and McBride returned to the floor. I’d credit those two with driving the defensive performance of the whole team for stretches of this game. Quickley gets a 2.5 out of 5 for leading the second unit.
Miles McBride: 2 PTS (1/6 FG, 0/3 3PT), 4 REB, 1 TO in 22 mins
Forget the poor field goal numbers from Miles McBride. He didn’t force shots, but his three-ball seemed a bit rushed. He tried scoring in a few ways and had a nice transition layup for his one make. The offense he contributed was light but secondary anyway.
I say forget his offense because Deuce McBride’s defense was infectious. His wingspan allows him to switch onto multiple players despite a shorter stature. In addition, he adds physicality that can frustrate most ball-handlers. McBride picked up plenty of fouls thanks to physical play, but his effort pushed the entire team to play harder whenever he was out there.
Miles McBride is an easy player to root for. He didn’t require a lot of touches and stayed engaged. He grabbed rebounds and was fantastic for the defense. I haven’t rooted for a player’s shots to fall like this since Frank Ntilikina’s appearances. I think McBride shows more upside offensively, though. Deuce gets a 2 out of 5 for fantastic defense and offense that I hope comes around.
Taj Gibson: 11 PTS (4/6 FG, 1/1 3PT, 2/2 FT), 5 REB, 1 TO in 19 mins
The second-unit defense looked best, while Taj Gibson was with them. I think that his communication and positioning were a force multiplier. IQ and McBride were flying around the perimeter while Taj ensured the middle was protected. It made for some stretches where the Knicks shut down the Mavs entirely.
Gibson added an offensive punch to his usual workman performances. I mentioned IQ feeding bigs, and Taj was a recipient. During a first-half explosion, the big man even added a timely three-pointer from the corner. The New York native plays the game right, and that’s fun to watch surrounded by youth.
All of that said, I can acknowledge that Taj playing is terrible for Jericho Sims’ minutes. But I don’t mind the lessons Thibodeau can impart by using Gibson this way. Taj was a veteran presence to help a very young line-up. He spelled Sims, who ran into foul trouble for the second straight game. This is why Gibson is on the roster because he can help without being demanding. Taj gets a 2 out of 5 for his vital contributions.
Jericho Sims: 5 PTS (2/2 FG, 1/2 FT), 3 REB in 6 mins
Jericho Sims picked up two quick fouls that immediately sent him to the bench. Taj Gibson’s success meant that Sims sat until garbage time from there. But the rookie still managed to fly for a pair of impressive alley-oop dunks in his six minutes. The kid has to get his fouls under control, but he has a lot of potential.
Ryan Arcidiacono: 4 mins played
Ryan Arcidiacono got a couple of touches, but nothing exciting to work in four minutes of garbage time. He drew a charge which is nice.
The new rotation continues to shine for Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks
Tom Thibodeau:
Tom Thibodeau got the best of both worlds with his new rotation against Dallas. He got young guys like RJ and IQ asserting themselves, while vets like Randle and Taj tightened things up when the team started to let a big lead slip. Protecting a thirty-point lead might sound easy, but this team blew 20-point leads in four consecutive games recently. Thibs showed some growth himself in handling this one.
The growth I’m talking about is a quick adjustment to quell a star opponent. Thibs wasted no time switching to a double and trap scheme against Luka Doncic. Doncic was the driving force of a big run for Dallas, and Thibodeau wasn’t having it. We’ve seen these shifts before, but rarely have they come so swiftly.
It also bears repeating that some simple rotation changes have had considerable results. Staggering Randle and RJ’s minutes have helped the second unit’s offense. He’s also letting Mitchell Robinson run with the second unit a bit more. That pushes Mitch into a more up-tempo offense and lets his defense propel their transitions. Did it take longer to adjust than we’d like? Absolutely. But the results have been an upward trend that has found real momentum. Thibodeau gets a 4 out of 5 for coaching the Knicks not just to get the big lead but keep it.
Closing Thoughts
I’m going to need a little bit more before I make my way over to team “play-in rather than lottery.” The schedule is tough, with a razor-thin margin for error to even have a chance. The Knicks have to win their games against Brooklyn, Charlotte, Washington, and Atlanta to really make a push. Beyond that, they’ll need to steal some wins from Memphis, Utah, Chicago, Miami, Cleveland, and Toronto.
Winning those games is within New York’s control. But they’ll need help from the teams ahead of them. Unfortunately, all those teams have as good or a better record than New York over the last ten games, let alone the season. So we’re hoping for the Knicks to turn a very late corner and for those teams to slow down. I’d love to see a play-in game, but realistically it’s an uphill battle out of a hole New York dug for itself.
But do you know what could give me optimism? Defeating the Memphis Grizzlies this Friday night. That’s an elite team that ran their mouths over nationally televised slots for the Knicks. They’re better than anybody New York beat in this three-game stretch, and arguably anyone they’ll play the rest of the way. If New York wants to instill confidence beyond tepid hopes, they must beat Memphis.
Is that game winnable? I think so. Memphis has calmed down a little since a ridiculous 10-game run that included beating the Knicks. But even if New York just shows up and competes in a dogfight, that will make me happy. The young guys are showing out, the rotation is more fun than it has been all year, and the future is bright with or without a play-in slot. So let’s enjoy these Knicks riding momentum into a showdown with a contender regardless of the result. I’ll see you there, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. And in case you missed it, make sure to check out CP’s response to Kendra Randle’s jabs at KFTV.
