The New York Knicks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 108-103. Knicks fans had the Barclays Center rocking in the fourth quarter in a gritty victory.
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Knicks fans took over the Barclays Center as New York beat the Brooklyn Nets 108 to 103. The Knicks started slow again, switching too easily and allowing Brooklyn to choose their match-ups. Jalen Brunson kept things close by carrying the offense through the first half with 18 points. New York’s defense bottomed out in the third quarter, as Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges couldn’t miss, but hot hands also began to emerge for New York.
The fourth quarter found another gear for New York. The second unit kicked things off with help from OG Anunoby, and then the starters came in to take the win as Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson took over. It was a close call against a rival, but that’s understandable with their current starting center missing.
The late run smoothed over a lackluster night for some players, but New York’s defense keeps every game within reach for their unstoppable scorers. Let’s lean in and see what each performance brought.
New York’s starters find a new gear in the fourth quarter
Jalen Brunson: 30 PTS (11/22 FG, 2/7 3PT, 6/7 FT), 4 AST, 3 REB, 2 TO in 36 mins
Jalen Brunson led the way to victory. He scored 18 points in the first half while no one else could get going and hit big shots in the fourth quarter. While his three-point shooting lagged behind the rest of his efficiency, the shots came in key moments. Brunson’s assists were down, but that felt like a team issue rather than something Brunson could fix.
Brunson’s defense was dicey at best. But I don’t blame him because he often switched onto big wings. That left him defending players that could shoot over him. The diminutive guard still drew a charge and did well when matched with Dennis Smith Jr., who I was happy to see take minutes away from Spencer Dinwiddie…good for you, DSJ!
I’m running out of synonyms for “great.” Brunson played an exceptional game, carrying New York through the doldrums and feeding hot hands when they arrived. He gets a 4 out of 5, and I’m past calling him an All-Star; let’s talk All-NBA team.
Donte DiVincenzo: 11 PTS (4/10 FG, 3/8 3PT), 5 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 25 mins
Donte DiVincenzo salvaged an otherwise lackluster performance with 8 points in the third quarter. He couldn’t get much going for most of the action, but he hit big shots when the Nets began their third-quarter run. DiVo hit threes from deep off awkward catches and floated a layup over Nicolas Claxton.
The Big Ragu’s defense stood out more than his offense. He did well in a few matchups with Spencer Dinwiddie on the ball. While Donte only has 1 steal on the stat sheet, he deflected a few passes and hedged effectively to help on Mikal Bridges.
It wasn’t a bad night for DiVincenzo, but forgettable is a fair description. We’ve seen much better performances from him, so this one was middling. DiVo gets a 2.5 out of 5 for his key baskets in the third.
OG Anunoby: 10 PTS (3/8 FG, 0/1 3PT, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 5 REB, 4 STL, 2 BLK, 3 TO in 33 mins
OG Anunoby barely looked to shoot in the first three quarters. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but his offense felt passive. He kicked into a different gear with the second unit in the fourth. At that point, he began to attack isolations and got the offense going for a bench group that hadn’t found much rhythm.
But if you’re reading this, you already know that OG’s defense is his calling card. Anunoby tallied six ‘Stocks’ and challenged or disrupted many more plays. He did well to cover Bridges in isolation, though he sometimes gave up the switch too easily. More importantly, we saw Anunoby’s defense ramp up as the game progressed. Other players looked tired, but OG never slowed down.
It’s impossible to explain Anunoby’s impact through the box score alone. His steals and blocks are impressive, but the other numbers are pedestrian. That’s unfortunate because his performance was far better than those numbers suggest. He gets a 3.5 out of 5 for another strong game.
Julius Randle: 30 PTS (10/19 FG, 2/2 3PT, 8/8 FT), 7 AST, 9 REB, 4 TO in 37 mins
I spent the first three-quarters of the game frustrated with Julius Randle. He seemed to score or get to spots easily but too often slipped into a passive approach at both ends. His lack of energy shined in a lack of first-half rebounds and a third quarter that saw the Nets targeting him.
Then the fourth quarter happened. The Knicks were mounting a comeback, and Tom Thibodeau subbed Julius Randle in for OG Anunoby. I was mid-conniption when Randle started to grab boards, push the pace, and overwhelm the Nets’ defense with power and timely jump shots. In clutch time, Brunson started to show signs of fatigue, but Randle picked him up with key baskets to help. Suddenly, a weak performance turned into a dominant display from Randle.
I won’t forgive the poor defensive effort, but Randle did something I’ve seen star players do. He played just well enough for three quarters before turning up the heat late. I’m not used to that from Randle, but he made it look easy. Randle gets a 2.5 out of 5, which could be higher, but I’m docking him for giving up too many threes on shoddy closeouts.
Jericho Sims: 6 PTS (3/4 FG), 2 AST, 4 REB, 4 BLK in 27 mins
Jericho Sims flipped from DNPs to the starting line-up and looked surprisingly comfortable. I would have forgiven him for lacking rhythm, but he got off to a hot start. Sims grabbed several impressive offensive boards, dunked anything that found him near the rim, and blocked everyone. He picked up all four of his career-high in blocks during the first quarter.
Sims displayed good hands, which is refreshing for Knicks fans who’ve watched Nerlens Noel, Mitchell Robinson, and Precious Achiuwa struggle to catch passes throughout the recent past. He snagged a low lob and finished it for a dunk. He powered a couple of boards out of the hands of Nets’ wings.
But we saw some drawbacks as well. The starters didn’t have the same freedom of motion that Isaiah Hartenstein afforded them. Sims’ defensive spacing on switches looked shaky, leaving too many pull-up opportunities to ball-handlers through screens. But his defense can grow from here, and his overall impact was good enough. Sims gets a 2.5 out of 5.
The Knicks’ second unit needs playmaking
Miles McBride: 8 PTS (3/5 FG, 2/3 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB, 1 BLK in 12 mins
Deuce McBride played forgettable basketball in the first half but stepped up later. He made a pair of important buckets in the fourth quarter. He got into the lane for a short pull-up, then hit an open three that helped the Knicks get going. McBride also stripped Dennis Smith Jr. in the lane and generally played good defense.
We saw McBride drive and kick in this game, but it was always a kick to Josh Hart. Hart’s not the best option to shoot, so the plays were marked by east-to-west action, with no one truly threatening the rim. That might explain McBride’s shortage of minutes.
Quentin Grimes: 5 PTS (2/5 FG, 1/4 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL in 20 mins
Quentin Grimes can’t seem to find his sweet spot. He looked aggressive early on, earning additional minutes in the second quarter. But he repeatedly bricked open looks, and his trips to the basket seemed to lessen as the game wore on. His second-half play returned to the timid play from earlier in the season.
Grimes still earned his 20 minutes, thanks to his defense. He quietly put together quality defensive possessions against Mikal Bridges early and never let anyone else he guarded get hot. I watch Grimes’ offense so closely that sometimes I take his defense for granted, especially now that OG takes on the most challenging assignments.
Grimes gets a 2 out of 5, which might be my wishful thinking. He needs to find confidence on offense soon, but I wonder if the trade rumors are wearing on him.
Josh Hart: 2 PTS (1/7 FG, 0/3 3PT), 1 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 28 mins
I raged over Josh Hart’s struggles through three and a half quarters. He couldn’t buy a bucket, and the Nets cheated off him to the point of rendering the second unit useless in the first half. Hart’s rebounding didn’t pick him up, and his defensive effort was good but not enough to cover for the shooting woes.
Hart pulled off a Randle-esque turnaround in the late game. He seemed to be involved in every big play during crunch time. Hart chased loose balls, made amazing transition defensive stops, and set up the biggest bucket of the night with an outlet pass to Randle.
I’m still frustrated with Hart’s inability to shoot at times. But if he gets enough minutes, he inevitably comes up with a patch of quality play that makes up for early struggles. Hart finished the day with clutch play that helped me forgive his early struggles, earning a 2 out of 5 despite the poor shooting efficiency.
Precious Achiuwa: 6 PTS (3/6 FG, 0/1 3PT), 2 AST, 9 REB in 21 mins
Precious Achiuwa’s improvements continued with another nice performance. He led the way in rebounding for most of the night and became a frequent passing target on rolls to the basket. Precious has good mobility and a knack for finding open space.
Achiuwa’s defensive chemistry with Anunoby made a difference in the fourth. There were long stretches near the end of the game where the Knicks could switch everything effectively. Achiuwa dropped too far off defenders in the first half but figured out better distancing for the crucial clutch-time minutes.
Tom Thibodeau’s consistency is remarkable
The Knicks are 19-0 against teams below .500. That might be the most Tom Thibodeau stat of the year. Thibodeau treats every game like it’s crucial, which can grind fans who want star players rested. But it’s impossible to argue with results like this.
As far as in-game adjustments, this was a gem for Thibs. He made choices that I questioned at the moment, but everything worked. He leaned on Precious for extra minutes late, snuck in rest for OG in the fourth, and got Randle on the floor just in time to take over. This was a strong night for the coach.
Closing Thoughts:
The Knicks are on a four-game win streak and are 10-2 since the Anunoby trade. This impressive record has left them fifth in the East with the third-best point differential. New York has found stability and consistency right when other teams began making changes.
The Bucks fired Adrian Griffin despite their second-best record in the league. That news overtook the story of Miami trading Kyle Lowry and a lottery-protected pick for Terry Rozier. Those are two scary playoff teams that made changes despite their success.
Those two moves are clear signs that the East is wide open. The second-best team in the East is making a midseason coaching change. The Eastern Conference finalists are spending first-round picks on reinforcements. There’s room for anyone to swoop in and steal this conference, even if the Celtics are the favorites for now.
The Knicks can make a statement if they beat the Nuggets next. That’s a tall order, with New York’s best two centers hobbled when The Joker visits. But the Knicks haven’t let injuries be an excuse yet, so I’m still looking forward to the match-up.
I’ll see you next time, Knicks fam!
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