The New York Knicks defeat the Indiana Pacers 104 to 94. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett both scored over 30 points to help the Knicks win.
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The Knicks got their frontcourt back and took down the Indiana Pacers 104 to 94. New York took advantage of a shorthanded Pacers squad, leading comfortably for most of the night. They coughed their lead-up just in time for the half to close, but the game felt under control for the most part. That’s because New York’s star players looked like they could score at will.
RJ Barrett was masterful and Julius Randle matched him in quality of play. Meanwhile, Mitchell Robinson bolstered a bench as its most experienced player. This was a game the Knicks were supposed to win, but the performances were notable and promising nonetheless. Let’s dive and enjoy New York’s return to the win column, one performance at a time.
Barrett hits another level, Randle returns with style for the Knicks’ starters
Alec Burks: 14 PTS (5/13 FG, 0/5 3PT, 4/6 FT), 4 AST, 6 REB, 3 STL, 1 TO in 36 mins
Alec Burks found himself on the receiving end of a health and safety protocols feel-good story. Keifer Sykes had a career night, largely at Burks’ (and his help defenders’) expense. That said, Burks fought back with a series of points over his undersized match-up and added some playmaking and rebounding to round out a productive night.
Tom Thibodeau must have demanded that the Knicks utilize Burks’ size advantage. He was frequently set up in the post throughout the middle portion of the game. The results were a mixed bag, which was slightly frustrating to see considering the mismatch. Burks also failed to capitalize when he got space for long-range attempts.
Burks wasn’t bad, but his game seemed a bit off. His defense left a lot to be desired despite a few steals along the way. He managed just enough production against a diminutive defender to keep his impact positive. But I would typically expect him to do more with a mismatch like this, so Burks ekes out a 2.5 out of 5 on the night.
RJ Barrett: 32 PTS (12/20 FG, 2/5 3PT, 6/8 FT), 3 AST, 8 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 42 mins
We’ve been waiting for this kind of performance from RJ Barrett. He attacked the Pacers inside from the opening tip and didn’t stop finishing until the end of the game. Barrett poured in 19 points in an incredible first quarter and continued to be productive throughout his playtime. Best of all, he hit a few mid-range jumpers that could really open up his scoring.
Even amid the explosive scoring, Barrett had the wherewithal to find open teammates. He was especially mindful of Julius Randle, as both players fed off each other’s gravity. My favorite series of the game came during his torrid first quarter. Barrett grabbed an offensive rebound with space to challenge Myles Turner but kicked out to an open Randle instead. After Randle missed, Barrett skied for a second straight board and once again passed up a good look for a better one.
Barrett was the driving force of the Knicks offense for a big chunk of this game. Julius Randle would come alive and provide plenty of help, but Barrett sparked everything. The third-year prospect added playmaking, solid defense, and plenty of rebounding to his fantastic scoring. That leaves Barrett with a well-deserved 5 out of 5 for his performance.
Evan Fournier: 0 PTS (0/4 FG, 0/3 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 22 mins
I want to highlight an early sequence of plays for Evan Fournier that didn’t show up in the box score. In back-to-back plays, Fournier disrupted Pacer ball-handlers which led to turnovers. On the second occasion, the French wing received the ball and set up Julius Randle with a mismatch in the post for easy points. That was as good as it got for Fournier as the rest of his night would be a disaster.
Fournier missed his first shot and seemed to lose all confidence. He barely attacked and missed the shots he did take. His effort seemed to fade with his offensive struggles, and he wound up being thoroughly outplayed by a non-regular rookie in Duane Washington Jr. Tom Thibodeau benched Fournier fairly early in a particularly rough third quarter. It was a necessary benching.
Fournier was hurting the team. There’s no nice way to put that. He’s supposed to be a third option or even second option in a pinch. Instead, he gave the Knicks a goose egg with shoddy defense to boot. New York has enough depth not to force minutes on the French wing if he’s unable to produce. This performance rates a 0.5 out of 5, and it would be a zero without that one sequence that showed he can do some good when his head’s right.
Julius Randle: 30 PTS (12/20 FG, 2/7 3PT, 4/6 FT), 4 AST, 16 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 39 mins
Julius Randle’s first two touches of the game were a nightmare. He turned the ball over twice in a row and missed rotations for open jumpers on the opposite end. But after the ugly start, he was able to settle in. Randle got some easy looks offcuts into the post or across the lane. Once he got a few going inside, the Knicks star began to operate further and further out with repeated success.
This marked the return of Julius Randle’s mid-range jump shot. He hit jumpers from all around the interior of the arc. When the Pacers helped, he found punished them by feeding players on the perimeter. That forced Indiana to let him have face-up opportunities with Sabonis, many of which ended in silky midrange baskets.
This fantastic performance begs the question, did Randle need that rest? He looked like an entirely different player throughout this game. He had his legs in the jump shots and took a more active role overall. This looked like the all-NBA player that Knicks fans were expecting, and he did it matched against an all-star. Randle gets a 5 out of 5 for reminding us what his peak game looks like.
Taj Gibson: 4 PTS (1/2 FG, 2/4 FT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 2 TO in 23 mins
This was a fairly run-of-the-mill Taj Gibson game. I mean that as a compliment. Gibson put on his work boots and battled it out with a very big Indiana frontcourt. He stole second chance opportunities with a series of offensive boards. Defensively, Taj gave Indiana fits with smart rotations and defense at the rim. It was plain, solid work.
Of course, Gibson’s typical game comes with familiar limitations. He’s not quite as big as true centers, and that appeared as he missed out on some defensive boards. That typically took the form of him battling with a Sabonis or Turner and tipping a loose ball further out (look at the rebounds for Barrett and Burks again).
Taj being Taj is never a bad thing. His numbers rarely leap off the page, but his performance is always fun to watch. He’s a player that I enjoy watching away from the ball when I rewatch plays because he’s always doing something small but helpful. He bumps a cutter, points out a rotation early, or hedges just enough to deny a drive. This game was pedestrian for Gibson, but that means it was a solid contribution. Gibson gets a 2 out of 5 in backup minutes.
Less time but plenty of impact for the Knicks’ bench
Miles McBride: 0 PTS (0/1 FG, 0/1 3PT) in 3 mins
Miles Mcbride almost crafted a highlight. He sent a defender flying off a step-back dribble and pulled up for three. Unfortunately, the shot bricked. McBride wouldn’t see many other opportunities before quickly returning to the bench. I didn’t see anything egregious enough to warrant the quick hook, but Tom Thibodeau works in mysterious ways.
Immanuel Quickley: 11 PTS (3/10 FG, 1/4 3PT, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB in 22 mins
I’m turning into a broken record, but I didn’t love Immanuel Quickley’s shot selection throughout most of this game. His forays inside felt rushed at times and a couple of the three-pointers felt rushed without good reason. That said, in the fourth quarter he started finding a groove and breaking down the defense. It led to some key baskets and a quick reminder that his unpredictability is his best weapon when he gets going.
Oddly enough, it felt to me like IQ’s size stood out more than usual in this one. Washington Jr has a lot of flash to his game that means he attacks defenders. Quickley didn’t bite on much and stayed in front of his assignment, but that didn’t always stop Washington from finishing or getting shots off. It’s a minor quibble now but could become an issue in any series against a bigger backcourt.
My other complaint about Quickley is that he was a bit too offensive-minded. IQ’s flashed playmaking development and more patience as a ball-handler, but recent games have seen some old habits creeping up. Outside of a nice lob in the pick and roll, Quickley didn’t create many opportunities for teammates. He’s also gotten caught picking up his dribble in recent action, which is an old habit he’d begun to curtail. Still, this was a decent night from the backup combo guard and he gets a 2 out of 5 for the effort.
Quentin Grimes: 3 PTS (1/2 FG, 1/2 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB in 20 mins
I stan for players that put up tough defensive effort. That’s probably why I was happier with Quentin Grimes’ 3 points in 20 minutes than IQ’s 11 points in 22. Grimes may not have been freed up to take many shots, and the rest of his output is minuscule but his defense is a marvel. He especially stood out late in the shot clock, where he would pressure ball handlers into tough shots and turnovers on time.
While Grimes has a pure jumper, he’s not in a great position to create for himself yet. That makes life harder when the Knicks are down Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose. The rest of the crew can drive and kick, but only Randle is consistent at finding the open shooter. Grimes got touches, but rarely with space to let anything fly so he dribbled and reset more than anything.
Even with just two attempts, Grimes looks like a clear 3 and D player right now. Indiana chased him off the line and that allowed him to flash enough ball-handling to develop into something more. It starts with that shooting stroke and intense defense, but he has all the requisites to knock down pull-ups. With a bit more ball-handling, he might become a straight-line slashing threat as well. Grimes gets a 2.5 out of 5 for his defense flying off the screen.
Obi Toppin: 2 PTS (1/3 FG, 0/1 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB in 9 mins
I’ll give Tom Thibodeau a break. Obi Toppin’s play didn’t warrant a cut below ten minutes of action. But Toppin was coming off a ridiculous 45 minutes of action in his last game and Randle was having a gem of a performance. The combination made me more forgiving of the quick hooks and extra rest for Obi. That said, I’d like the Randle/Obi combo to have a more balanced share of minutes. It feels like Randle’s legs would benefit most of all from this simple improvement in the rotation.
With the limited minutes, there wasn’t too much to speak for from Obi. Even with just one assist, his passing popped. Toppin caught a pass in midair and quickly fed a cutter at one point that showed vision beyond 90 percent of this roster’s capabilities. His one field goal came on a face-up dribble into a post-up and finish in the lane. Toppin’s starting to score frequently off the dribble…but he’s still a three-point shot away from really blowing up.
Mitchell Robinson: 8 PTS (4/5 FG), 8 REB in 25 mins
After a brief hiatus in the health and safety protocol, Mitchell Robinson got right back to his recent success. He had a slight reduction in role to work back and ensure his conditioning is ready, but quickly overtook Taj Gibson for center minutes. That’s because the big man was an ever-present threat in the middle.
Even without true point guards to feed him, Mitch is beginning to find more consistent production on the interior. His improved movement and stamina are allowing him to quickly follow slashers and clean up when they miss. Some of RJ Barrett’s drives in particular might as well have been assists, because Mitch was dancing into the lane unobstructed for putbacks. Robinson created a ton of second chances, which has quickly become the norm.
Of course, no Robinson recap is complete without a reference to his defense. The big man is intimidation personified. Even without a block or steal to his name, Blockinson’s presence seemed to push Indiana’s players further away from the rack. They settled for a lot more jumpers and rushed takes to try and find offense. Mitch is looking more and more like the big man we’ve been missing (and one we need to re-sign). Mitch gets a 3 out of 5 for looking like the biggest guy on a court with Turner, Randle, and Sabonis present.
Balancing workloads may be Tom Thibodeau’s biggest challenge
Tom Thibodeau: Between injuries and protocols, Tom Thibodeau hasn’t had much opportunity to lock in a consistent rotation. He’s had every excuse to run players for extended minutes and just hope that their legs could hold out. But as more talent clears the protocols, Thibodeau will have a chance to balance his rotation and set some roles soon. That looks more important than ever are Julius Randle showed so much more juice off a brief break.
For this particular game, there weren’t too many decisions to criticize. I spoke about Obi’s limited time in his recap above, I didn’t love it but I understood it. Miles McBride’s cut in minutes made less sense. The rookie didn’t do anything to warrant a benching and Alec Burks wasn’t good enough to command the extra minutes he got. With an injury-plagued roster, managing workloads is going to become magnified now that Thibs has more options.
That said, Thibodeau coached a solid overall performance. The word of the day is “consistency” as New York didn’t suffer through any extended lulls beyond a brief second-quarter hiccup. Randle and RJ made life easy for Thibodeau, and while he overplayed the Burks’ height advantage it did just enough to work out. A bad decision to waste a challenge seems like the only other move that I could complain about. Thibodeau gets a 3 out of 5, for cutting Fournier’s minutes and letting Randle cook after a tumultuous couple of weeks.
Closing Thoughts
If you watched last night’s game, I’d like you to think back on the way Keifer Sykes and Duane Washington Jr played. They came in as glorified fourth stringers pushed to starting roles. They fought! Sykes in particular played like someone who has traveled the globe just to earn this one opportunity that he wouldn’t let slip. I dare you to look at the effort that journeyman rookie laid out last night and tell me with a straight face that the Knicks’ regulars have consistently played matched that intensity.
Maybe I’m old and nostalgic, but that hunger displayed from two guys I’d never heard of before last night is how I remember players like John Starks and Latrell Sprewell. Anything you left on the table, those guys were taking with impunity. When we lose patience with a Randle or a Barrett, THAT’S why. Call me spoiled, but Starks and Spree weren’t journeymen chasing a dream and they played every night like it was the most important game of their careers (insert a slew of memorable names here: Mason, Camby, Ward, Thomas, etc.).
The most beautiful thing about last night was that our star players looked like they were finding that intensity. Now the Boston Celtics are up next, and hopefully, Evan Fournier can find that level and get his game going again as well. The Knicks and C’s will play twice in a row, with one game difference in the standings when they tip-off. This is a chance to leapfrog a divisional rival and build momentum for a real push. But I’m less concerned with record and more focused on intensity and effort right now.
See you after the next one Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. In case you missed it, check out Knicks Weekly where CP, JD, and Alex recap last week and take questions.
