The New York Knicks won their second straight game against the Sacramento Kings after being down 20 points.
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The New York Knicks came back from a 20-point deficit to win their second game in a row against the Sacramento Kings. I can’t blame anyone that turned this late-night affair off after the first half. New York started the game slowly. Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims combined for five fouls inside of eight minutes. Three starters went scoreless for nearly two quarters. Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley kept the game within reach, but they desperately needed help.
That help arrived in the second half. Taj Gibson boosted the defense while Alec Burks and Evan Fournier finally started scoring. As New York’s defense picked up, the trio of Randle, Barrett, and Quickley created separation. Domantas Sabonis was ejected, and the game was over early for the second night in a row.
New York finally has a winning streak. They’ve won by double-figures in two games out West. Their offense is thriving with defense sharpening up. Let’s see how each player contributed to the victory.
Randle’s eruption leads an offensive explosion for New York’s starters
Alec Burks: 5 PTS (2/9 FG, 1/4 3PT), 4 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK in mins
Alec Burks’ offense never got off the ground. He forced a couple of early shots, looking for a rhythm that would never catch. He would see few opportunities and fail to convert on nearly all of them. But Burks did manage a pair of buckets in the third quarter. He may not have shot well, but his field goals helped the Knicks build momentum to take the lead.
The rest of Burks’ game filled out solidly. He picked up easy assists off swing passes to Randle and Barrett. He also grabbed his share of long rebounds. The microwave scorer’s rebounding is a consistent positive. Defensively, Burks had his hands full chasing Fox through screens from Sabonis. But the veteran held his own respectably, although I’d grade it a below-average performance on that end.
Burks had a decent game considering his struggles from the field. He managed to pick up some quick assists and rebounds while chasing one of the league’s fastest players. His performance wasn’t up to par with last season’s quality, but it wasn’t terrible either. Burks picks up a 1.5 out of 5 for brutal shooting but decent contributions elsewhere.
Evan Fournier: 15 PTS (5/14 FG, 3/10 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 REB, 1 STL in 27 mins
Evan Fournier looked entirely out of sorts in the first half. He didn’t score until the Knicks went small with Randle at the five. The five-out offense allowed Fournier to drive for an easy layup. After that score, Fournier’s offense sparked heading into the third quarter. He would knock down some jumpers and drive baseline for another finish. The scoring salvaged an otherwise tough night.
Despite getting his scoring on track, Fournier didn’t do much else. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing with Randle and Barrett dominating the Kings’ defense. However, Fournier was relegated to an off-ball role where he could pick his spots. It served to get him shots in rhythm without demanding much else.
But the goal for a player relegated off the ball is to contribute without needing touches. Fournier didn’t grab boards or make a significant contribution on defense. He was an invisible man until chances to shoot arose. I’m not sure that’s enough contribution to warrant starting when this team is fully healthy. Fournier gets a 1.5 out of 5 for solid but inefficient scoring.
RJ Barrett: 29 PTS (11/21 FG, 3/6 3PT, 4/4 FT), 6 AST, 8 REB, 3 TO in 37 mins
RJ Barrett continued his hot streak in Sacramento. He started off cold, missing on drives and jumpers in the early portions of the game. But Barrett seemed to wear down the Kings defense with his frequent forays inside. He had to work for every bucket near the basket, but his footwork and strength proved effective. Of course, it helped that RJ knocked down jumpers to keep Sacramento honest.
Barrett’s growth as a playmaker was on display as well. He drew Kings defenders and whip passes to Randle and IQ for open looks. The young scorer has shown willful passing, making him even tougher to guard. On top of that, we see fewer drives into contact while praying for a whistle and more passes to shooters before reaching the traffic.
This was also the second game in a row where Barrett hits the boards. He grabbed 9 rebounds in LA and 8 in Sacramento. Those defensive boards lead to quick transitions since Barrett can drive the length of the floor. So RJ hit his jumpers, made nice passes, and grabbed plenty of rebounds to overwhelm the Kings. However, he gets a 4 out of 5 for filling the stat sheet, and he wasn’t even the star of the night.
Julius Randle: 46 PTS (18/31 FG, 8/16 3PT, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 10 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 34 mins
Even as RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley showed out, Julius Randle stole the show. In the first quarter, Randle was New York’s life preserver, scoring while no one else could. Then, as the rest of the team warmed up, the game only became easier for Randle. New York’s star poured in points, bullying his way inside for frequent shots at the rack. But his game wouldn’t crack 40 points without an added boost…
That boost came from Randle’s jump shot. The Knicks’ big man fired up three-pointers early and often, missing a couple of the first looks. But as Randle continued to shoot without hesitation, his jumper found its mark. By the fourth quarter, he was pulling up from three at will. He completed the game with career highs in scoring and three-point makes.
It bears mention that Randle was locked in defensively but to the point of being overzealous at times. He matched up with arch-nemesis Domantas Sabonis. I don’t know what the beef is, but Randle always plays Sabonis tough. His competitive nature saw Randle digging in and making tight rotations for most of this game. Randle’s brilliant night warrants a 5 out of 5 for his impact.
Mitchell Robinson: 2 mins played
Mitchell Robinson started the game with a pair of quick fouls against Domantas Sabonis. Thibodeau sat Mitch after the rough opening and never looked back. It’s an odd punishment for a player that had been playing well in recent efforts. But the fouls were terrible, and a little extra rest wouldn’t hurt.
The rise of Immanuel Quickley hits a new peak for the Knicks’ second unit
Immanuel Quickley: 27 PTS (7/10 FG, 3/5 3PT, 10/11 FT), 4 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 30 mins
Immanuel Quickley was crucial to the Knicks’ second unit. While multiple players contributed defense off the bench, IQ was the only significant contributor for scoring. He hit his three-point looks, even when players bumped him on release. Then, as we’re accustomed to at this point, Quick used that shooting gravity to drive past defenders and score inside with floaters and layups.
IQ mixed in some excellent playmaking with his scoring. His ability to hit cutters and open shooters unlocked driving lanes. Even when the lanes were clogged, IQ would dribble out to reset and often find himself unguarded as Sacramento rushed back to their assignments. His offense created chaos, and he would follow up by harassing the inbounds pass. It was a very pesky night for Quickley, but that’s his best kind of night.
I’ve spoken endlessly about the struggle to find balance in scoring and playmaking. Quickley’s scoring has taken a backseat to his passing for most of the season. But his recent trend toward less hesitation as a shooter has opened up everything. He’s still effectively finding teammates but suddenly more efficient from the field as well. This is the IQ we hoped to see after a promising rookie campaign. Nevertheless, Quickley gets a 4.5 out of 5 for his impact as the third piece to a three-headed attack.
Miles McBride: 2 PTS (1/2 FG, 0/1 3PT, 0/2 FT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 20 mins
A lot of what I said after Miles McBride’s performance in LA is applicable with this Kings performance. His numbers don’t jump off the sheet, but his performance flies off the screen. If you miss the old 90’s Knicks that Chris Herring just wrote a book about, McBride’s defense at the point of attack will feed your nostalgia. He’s physical and aggressive, with great anticipation to disrupt plays even before they start.
But we should talk offense as well. McBride got more opportunities to run plays through screens. His results were mixed as he drew free throws and got into the defense but also deferred to IQ and missed foul shots. Deuce did scatter a couple of assists and rebounds into his performance, though. It felt more like he was getting his feet wet than it felt like a measure of his playmaking ability. McBride is just getting comfortable in the offense.
The irony about Deuce looking for his comfort zone on offense is that his defense oozes confidence. He’s such a disruptive force that I wanted to see him on the floor even without much production. He picked up plenty of fouls by battling on and off the ball. But Miles McBride’s physicality is a welcome addition to the perimeter defense. I can’t wait for Grimes to return so our rookie guards can pair up to ruin bench offenses. McBride gets a 2 out of 5 for a solid performance off the bench. A bit of scoring will push his impact to starter grades or better.
Cam Reddish: 2 PTS (1/3 FG), 1 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK in 16 mins
Cam Reddish has a quiet night offensively. His two misses came from a steal and fast break. He went the length of the court and missed two attempts under the rim, both of which could have been called for defensive fouls. Beyond that moment, Cam’s offense was kept at bay. But that doesn’t mean he had no impact.
Reddish was fun to watch on the defensive end. He swung from small forward to power forward, using his length to compensate for lack of size. Reddish rotated hard and made some nice defensive plays. At times, I thought his body language looked strained due to offensive struggles, but he would pop right back up and dig in on defense. It’s great to see a player take frustrations and use them to produce instead of look discouraged.
Cam’s night was cut short when he attempted to block a fast break. He swatted the shot, but his momentum sent him tumbling over Davion Mitchell. I was happy to see that Reddish didn’t land on his head, but he clearly felt the fall on his shoulder. Before the injury, Cam was shaky on offense but strong on defense. He gets a 2 out of 5 on the night, solid for a bench performance. Get well soon, Cam!
Jericho Sims: 0 PTS, 4 REB, 1 TO in 9 mins
Jericho Sims ran into similar foul trouble that Mitchell Robinson did. Mitch had two fouls inside of two minutes. Sims wound up with three fouls in his first six minutes. The big man would get another three minutes in the second half, but he seemed hesitant after those initial foul calls. The ineffective look for Sims meant a quick hook and less than ten minutes of action.
Taj Gibson: 5 PTS (2/2 FG, 1/2 FT), 8 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK in 26 mins
Taj Gibson probably didn’t expect to play as much as he did. Foul woes sent New York’s starting and backup centers to the bench early. Taj came in and held his own, but the team looked out of sorts early. When Gibson came out of halftime to start the third quarter, he looked like a different player.
Gibson seemed to take on a more significant responsibility for the defense. He energized everyone by blocking shots and poking loose balls. For all the success on offense from Randle, Barrett, and IQ, they might not have made the difference without Gibson waking up the defense. Taj would continue to play extended minutes, at his best paired with Randle but also effective with small-ball units as the only big.
We’re all ready to embrace the youth movement. We want to see what exciting prospects like Jericho Sims can do. But that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the times when a vet like Taj Gibson steps up. Despite being relegated to a non-rotation role, Gibson was ready when his name was called. He came in and gave the Knicks a much-needed boost. Taj picks up a 2.5 out of 5 for the energy he injected into the second half.
Ryan Arcidiacono: 1 min played
Ryan Arcidiacono got into the game but without time to do anything.
Tom Thibodeau hits the halftime switch for success
Tom Thibodeau:
After all of the heat I’ve given Tom Thibodeau for not playing young guys enough, I’m applauding his decision to start Taj Gibson in the second half. Thibodeau saw his team show up listless throughout the first half. Instead, he employed a reliable veteran presence to change New York’s fortunes, and it seems like that strategy worked. I’ve grown accustomed to Thibs sticking rigidly to his rotations, so this simple shift feels like a bigger deal than it might otherwise.
Among Thibs’ best decisions, I especially liked his trust for Miles McBride. The rookie didn’t get much going on offense, but Thibs kept him out there. I love to see that Thibodeau rewarded defensive effort, and he’d have done the same for Cam Reddish if not for the injury. I think we’re quickly hitting a point where it’s not reasonable to criticize Thibodeau for his handling of the youth… well, we can say the shift came too late, but in the present, he’s making the right choices.
Thibodeau also lost a challenge late. It was an unnecessary move, but it showed support for his players. Sometimes a coaching decision is more about showing confidence in players. That’s most obvious when coaches change their rotations, but this challenge served a similar purpose. Thibodeau gets a 4 out of 5 for his impact in the second-half momentum swing. He’s gone younger, and I’m happy to reward that with higher grades.
Closing Thoughts
The Knicks went out West on a 6-game losing streak. They played Phoenix well despite collapsing late and have won two games in a row. Tom Thibodeau has shifted to a younger rotation, and he made some precise in-game adjustments to get these wins. Even as the Knicks have dealt with injuries, illnesses, and ejections, they have pieced together the most promising stretch of games that we’ve seen since early January. If New York closes the season out playing like this, they might hurt their lottery odds, but I think we’ll be happier as fans.
That’s because we’re seeing all the signs that we hoped for. RJ Barrett’s leap feels more real with every performance, Julius Randle’s offense turned a corner in late January, and young players make up the entire second unit. When Derrick Rose and Obi Toppin come back, there will be depth and potentially more improvements. I’m truly curious to see what these guys look like when a genuine point guard and playmaker joins them.
We’ve got nothing but good vibes tonight. I stayed up late and got to watch a win. That’s enough for me not to linger on the bizarre Twitter drama that I assume came from a case of mistaken identity. The KFTV community is passionate, but my pride in being a part of this group is that we treat the players with appreciation and respect. So much love and respect to all players and their families; we’ll give you hell for poor play, but we’ll defend you beyond that because you’re one of our own. And shout out to CP for cultivating such a fantastic group of fans who showed support when there was that confusion on the timeline.
The Dallas Mavericks are next with a formidable test for the Knicks’ momentum. We’ll have to see who is even healthy enough to make up the rotation, but I’m looking forward to the match-up regardless. Let’s see how RJ and Randle continue if IQ can keep it up and whether McBride can keep boosting that defense. I’ll see you after the action, 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 interview with the Daily Dot on growth strategies and tips for aspiring content creators.
