The New York Knicks defeated the Washington Wizards 100-97. New York almost lost, but they held on to make it 5-2 in their last 7 games.
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The New York Knicks held on after nearly blowing a lead to the Washington Wizards. The Knicks staggered through a turnover-prone first quarter before gaining their footing and building a comfortable lead. They controlled the offensive glass and won the free-throw battle to keep a struggling offense afloat. New York shot woeful percentages from the field and from three, but they still controlled most of the action t with 21 more attempts from the field and 15 more attempts at the lion.
If the first quarter was sloppy because of turnovers, the fourth quarter was a nightmare due to shooting. The Knicks got plenty of good looks from three but missed shot after shot. Meanwhile, Kyle Kuzma made multiple circus shots to cut New York’s lead to one in the final minute of action. The law of averages was the only thing that stopped Kuzma from hitting a go-ahead three and RJ Barrett sealed the game with a pair of free throws after the miss.
It wasn’t pretty, but a grinding and effort-filled win isn’t so bad to watch. The Knicks had some youth step up to play critical roles in this victory. Let’s look at who contributed most to the win and where there’s room for improvement for each player.
Robinson and Randle dominate the boards for New York’s starters
Alec Burks: 12 PTS (3/6 FG, 2/3 3PT, 4/6 FT), 2 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 28 mins
Alec Burks’ stat-line surprised me a bit. He didn’t feel particularly active in this game, being the starter with the least attempts on the team. But Burks was sneaky good because so many of his touches became productive. He knocked down threes, had a pass fake to a midrange shot, and drew some free-throws along the way.
Burks’ limited time on the ball meant only a handful of nice passing moments. But he managed a couple of dimes. I’ll never hold back on respecting his rebounding, especially now at the point guard role. My typical complaint is also locked and loaded, which is that I don’t think he navigates screens well. Shooters and cutters find separation as soon as they pass their first screen.
This game highlighted Burks’ utility with the starters and his limitations. There wasn’t a true point guard to stave the turnovers in the first quarter. The fourth-quarter lead collapsed when everybody stopped attacking the rim and began to settle for jumpers. A true lead guard ought to take the rock and start pushing inside to draw fouls and make defenders work. But Burks’ impact was good overall, which warrants a 2.5 out of 5 for the night.
Evan Fournier: 15 PTS (5/13 FG, 5/11 3PT, 4 AST, 2 REB, 3 STL, 1 TO in 34 mins
Speaking of players with deceiving stat-lines compared to performance. Evan Fournier’s game felt more efficient than it wound up being. That’s because every one of his made field goals was a three. He scattered a few daggers in his five makes, to go along with a couple of heat-checks that didn’t quite fall. Fournier was feeling it.
Fournier’s standout sequence was actually a series of second-quarter steals. First, he deflected a pass and then proceeded to pick up steals in quick succession. Two came from sneaking behind ball handlers as a help defender and one came in the passing lane. It was a burst of defensive production that boosted his entire performance.
Beyond scoring a quick defensive pump, Fournier’s playmaking has really picked him up lately. His jumper is expected and a few steals don’t necessarily cover for some defensive flaws, but his passing ability is a pleasant surprise. It adds a wrinkle to his offense that’s valuable, especially for a roster without a true point. The French wing picks up a 3 out of 5 for his impact.
RJ Barrett: 18 PTS (6/22, 1/4 3PT, 5/6 FT), 3 AST, 6 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 40 mins
RJ Barrett’s night was a struggle. The first big note here is that his three-ball wasn’t falling, which left him to rely on slashing. He was driving into a shot blocker all game long, with Porzingis and Gafford taking turns in the middle. To make matters worse, Barrett couldn’t seem to draw whistles despite taking plenty of contact on trips into the paint.
The rest of Barrett’s game appeared in flashes. He threw a beauty of a transition dime to Obi that split defenders. His six rebounds aren’t impressive, but the way he rose in traffic to grab a couple did shine. The prospect’s defense also had moments of quality man-to-man work scattered throughout his forty minutes.
I wouldn’t call this a bad game, but it certainly wasn’t a good one. The rising star didn’t put together enough secondary production to cover for his inefficiency as a scorer. But the bright side is that these sorts of nights have been few and far between. It took two shot blockers, a poor shooting night, and tight refs to bring Barrett back down to average instead of great. Barrett gets a 2 out of 5 for his tough night.
Julius Randle: 18 PTS (6/22 FG, 1/7 3PT, 5/8 FT), 4 AST, 17 REB, 4 TO in 39 mins
Julius Randle’s struggle had everything to do with his jumper. He couldn’t get anything to fall from outside of 15 feet. The good news is that he wasn’t shy about attacking the paint and getting strong position to post inside. But the Wizards were able to leave him open from three for enough misses to bring down his overall efficiency.
That said, Randle did a lot of other things well. He grabbed a ridiculous 17 rebounds even as Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims pounced on everything they could. The near-max player also pieced together some excellent passing sequences. Unfortunately, thanks to the team’s miserable shooting, he probably got robbed of assists more than anyone else. Nevertheless, Randle’s effort was never a problem either.
But Randle did show off his all-too-common issue with turnovers. He gave up a couple from dribbling into trouble and a couple more trying to force passes inside to Mitch and Sims. Those passes to the bigs were good ideas but he made them too difficult to catch. Part of quality playmaking is knowing what passes your receiver can handle. Either way, Randle had a solid night despite his turnovers and inefficiency, but it was just solid. Thanks to his monstrous rebounding numbers, Randle picks up a 3 out of 5.
Mitchell Robinson: 15 PTS (6/10 FG, 3/3 FT), 12 REB in 31 mins
Speaking of monstrous rebounding, let’s talk about Mitchell Robinson. Mitch was an absolute force on the glass with ten offensive rebounds, leading countless second chances for his poor shooting teammates. Every one of those opportunities proved essential. Robinson himself had plenty of putbacks to go along with his array of rim running finishes for a fifteen and twelve night.
This was a rare night of Robinson’s defense feeling a step behind. Kristaps Porzingis pulled Mitch away from the basket where his rim protection couldn’t help. KP’s pump fakes and feints kept Mitch off balance as an on-ball defender as well. A giant jump shooter is the worst possible match-up for New York’s shot blocker.
But even as he struggled to stop KP, Mitch alright containing him. Porzingis didn’t shoot much and couldn’t keep Robinson off the glass. Our soon-to-be free agent big was a prominent force whenever he could operate in the middle. That meant a lot more on offense, but that’s more than enough since New York pulled this out. I hope the Knicks re-sign Mitch. Robinson gets a 3.5 out of 5 for his interior dominance.
Quickley’s gem and Quentin Grimes’ return to the Knicks’ second unit
Immanuel Quickley: 15 PTS (3/7 FG, 0/1 3PT, 9/9 FT), 5 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 17 mins
I’ve spoken about Immanuel Quickley’s recent ascent. This game was just one more example to add to the pile. It’s becoming more evident each time out that IQ has figured out how to draw whistles again. His fifteen points on seven attempts came without making a single three-pointer.
Quickley comfortably had the best passing on the team. Breen and Clyde remarked on his growth as a playmaker after finding Julius Randle with a full-court pass. But I’m more excited about the way IQ consistently feeds runners inside. He and RJ have both mastered the downhill dime to rim runners.
The craziest part of the sophomore’s numbers is 17 minutes. Fifteen points in that time is impressive, five assists are excellent, and four rebounds is solid. But to hit all three marks in under 20 minutes of action is plain ridiculous. It’s enough for me to take my typical Obi Toppin refrain and attach it here, Immanuel Quickley should have gotten more minutes. Yet, Quick gets a 4 out of 5 for insane efficiency when everyone else struggled.
Quentin Grimes: 5 PTS (1/5 FG, 1/4 3PT, 2/2 FT), 6 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK in 17 mins
I can’t express how nice it was to see Quentin Grimes back out there. His hustle and effort are a joy to watch. The fact that he’s got sneaky skills behind that high-motor game is a blessing for his upside. Grimes showed some signs of rust, particularly in his jumper, but he still contributed in plenty of clear ways.
Grimes’ defense will forever be his calling card. He was all over the place, moving so well laterally that I almost forgot about his knee injury. Of course, I was reminded when he chased a loose ball down and then crashed to the floor on the ensuing lay-up attempt. But that play showed his defensive and effort just as much as it gave me a heart attack.
I appreciated the way other players responded to Grimes’ return. It’s apparent that they trust him with the ball. RJ Barrett actively made a move to free the rookie up at one point. There are some cobwebs to shake off, but even a rusty Grimes contributes to winning. Grimes picks up a 2 out of 5 in his first action back.
Jericho Sims: 0 PTS (0/1 FG), 6 REB, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 15 mins
Don’t let Jericho Sims’ numbers fool you, he had a solid night. It felt like he was chasing after every rebound. That often led to loose balls traveling back out toward perimeter players rather than tallies for Sims. His six rebounds aren’t a bad number in just fifteen minutes and more impressive considering how many second-chances he created without registering the board.
But I think Sims’ defensive upside stood out most for me. There was a play where he hedged nicely past the three-point line and still managed to recover to the passing lane for his roller. This kid’s mobility could make him special. There are other strong bigs and other big men that play above the rim, but to cover so much ground with those attributes is unique.
You might ask, “why didn’t Sims play more then?” To which, I’d simply point at Mitchell Robinson’s numbers. Sims looked good, but Mitch dominated this game. It’s no slight on the rookie that his minutes were cut. He took a backseat to a player having a tremendous performance. Sims gets a 2 out of 5 for hard work in a brief time.
Obi Toppin: 2 PTS (1/4 FG, 0/3 3PT), 2 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 9 mins
Obi Toppin followed a strong performance with a rough night. He didn’t get many opportunities going to the basket, leaving him searching for points at the three-point line. Obi’s shooting struggles continued although he did pick up a beauty of a transition dunk.
Toppin struggled a bit on defense. He got caught sleeping for a few backdoor cuts and pump-faked into a foul before his final benching of the night. But he also produced two steals right before his last defensive miscue so the punishment felt unfair. He received just nine minutes, well below the fifteen-minute threshold for a player rating.
Signs of fatigue again as Thibodeau leans on his starters
Tom Thibodeau:
I semi-understand why Tom Thibodeau put such a load on his starters. He’s playing for wins and the Knicks wound up in a dog fight. But that dog fight came about late, as players slowed down past their 30-minute marks on the floor. Thibodeau has to do better to find breaks for everybody by better utilizing his bench.
I’d have liked to see Thibs protect the double-digit lead of the fourth quarter with defense. That’s his calling card as a coach, and yet his absolute devotion to certain vets meant that Grimes barely cracked 15 minutes and Deuce McBride was back to a DNP. The Knicks chased dagger threes when the real solution to holding a lead is to get stops!
That said, there’s something to be said about the way this team is playing overall. Their effort has been tremendous over the past couple of weeks. As the wins pile up, you can see a level of trust developing, and they’re buying into the team concept more readily. I hope the poor shooting night doesn’t reduce that trust because the coach is finally finding some of last year’s winning culture in this present squad. Thibodeau picks up a 2.5 out of 5 for holding on to win.
Closing Thoughts
The Knicks are five games out of the play-in with twelve games to go on the schedule. So going 5-2 in the past seven games might be too little, too late (especially as a follow-up to a seven-game losing streak). Conversely, I don’t think tanking would have pushed the Knicks to a miraculous top-four pick, and I’ve expressed as much in prior recaps.
So what’s left for the fans when the playoffs are out of reach but the team barely has a shot to win the lottery? I answered as much in the last KFTV round-table, but the answer is watching the current youth on the roster. I know fans get caught up in wanting to lose every game for a shot at the NCAA darlings of the year, but establishing a culture and getting buy-in from the current roster is essential. Most of this team is under contract for next season, closing strong could lead to a fast start next year.
There are other ways that winning helps as well. Those players you want to see traded might be picking up enough value to make your dreams a reality. A strong close could also bring some positivity into a long offseason. But this brief success doesn’t mean the Knicks are guaranteed to close strong.
Gut-check time is arriving soon, with the Utah Jazz (just finished playing), then the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat to follow. If the Knicks want to change our minds about the play-in being a pipe dream then these are the game they’ll need to win. Beating the Blazers and Wizards is one thing, but beating the Heat and Hawks is another. We’ll see if the tougher competition catches up to our rising young squad when Utah comes to town on Sunday. 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, check out Knicks Weekly, where Corey Tulaba from No Ceilings joins to give his draft takes.
