The New York Knicks defeat the San Antonio spurs 111-96, and it was RJ Barrett that led New York to victory.
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The New York Knicks took down the San Antonio Spurs 111 to 96. Their star player had a nightmare game but the rest of the roster picked up the slack. Turnovers cost New York early, with San Antonio leading after the first quarter. But the Knicks’ ball movement and defense got them out to a slim lead by halftime that ballooned after each ensuing quarter. They shot 48 percent from the floor, 41 percent from three, and had 6 players with multiple assists. This was a dominant performance.
While Julius Randle struggled, RJ Barrett stepped into the leading role and played like a star. Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes provided impact playmaking and defense off the bench. Nearly every player was rolling and it was more than enough to pick up Julius Randle on a rough night. Let’s take a look back at the performances from a well-executed victory.
A dominant performance for RJ Barrett and the Knicks’ starters
Alec Burks: 16 PTS (5/10 FG, 3/6 3PT, 3/3 FT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 32 mins
The point guard adjustment hasn’t been easy for Alec Burks. His efficiency as a starter falls well below his numbers off the bench. Burks got off to another slow start but began to find his footing with an and-one finish inside. He started to hit a rhythm from there, knocking down threes and helping across the board.
It bares mentioning that Burks didn’t have to command the ball as often in this game. RJ Barrett took over for the starters, and Immanuel Quickley had another great game quarterbacking the second unit. That left Burks free to pick his spots and get some easy looks created by teammates. He looked comfortable, and his efficiency speaks for itself.
Burks at point guard still has some issues. He can be slow to get the team into sets and can take too long probing for openings. That’s probably why he’s more effective when receiving the ball in position to attack rather than trying to create something from nothing. It’s no insult to say he’s better as an off-ball guard, this game is a great example. Burks snatches a 3 out of 5 for an efficient night complimenting lead scorers.
Evan Fournier: 18 PTS (5/12 FG, 4/7 3 PT, 4/5 FT), 2 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 22 mins
Evan Fournier got off to a hot start in the first quarter, leading the Knicks with eight points. He seemed like he was slowing down in the second quarter, missing all of his attempts but helping out with the steal that led to RJ Barrett’s windmill dunk. Fournier started the second half even hotter than the first, knocking down a pair of threes with a trio of free throws in between. But he’d force the issue in transition and come up limping shortly after.
We’ve heard about Fournier’s ankle during some of his weaker performances recently. That injury might explain why he slowed down as the halves went on here. Fournier only played 22 minutes, but his effort wasn’t the problem. He grabbed rebounds and poked the ball loose while working as the second-leading scorer for New York.
Even with the injury, Fournier looks like he’s found his comfort zone. He’s finding openings to attack with more frequency, with an improved defensive effort to boot. The wing has totaled 13 rebounds in his past two games. He may need some time to heal up soon, but Fournier is showing some promising improvement. Fournier takes a 3.5 out of 5 for 18 points in 22 minutes on good efficiency.
RJ Barrett: 31 PTS (12/20 FG, 3/4 3PT, 4/5 FT), 4 AST, 3 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 31 mins
Two missed dunk attempts marked the beginning of RJ Barrett’s night, but he knocked down a pair of threes along the way. Then in the second quarter, Barrett got out for a fast break and finished a windmill dunk. He would follow with multiple finishes inside around Jakob Poeltl before halftime and carry the momentum through the rest of the game.
Barrett started the third quarter just like he’d left the half. RJ finished a floater, a few more drives, and eventually added some pull-ups from midrange. When the former top-three selection drew the Spurs’ attention, he shifted to finding teammates. Barrett even created an open three-pointer out of a post-up. Even Mike Breen marveled that he was everywhere on the floor, after a big-time block.
Barrett had to step up with Randle struggling. The third-year prospect went above and beyond with a special performance. He was unstoppable on offense and picked up defensive intensity as the game wore on. He led the Knicks to victory and took on a starring role. Those few games in Randle’s absence might have helped Barrett more than we realize. Barrett grabs a 5 out of 5 for taking over this game.
Julius Randle: 2 PTS (1/7 FG, 0/3 3PT), 3 AST, 12 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 34 mins
Julius Randle knocked down his first shot but seemed to lose confidence after missing his next two. The big man made some nice passes early, but they were coupled with bad turnovers when he spent too long looking for help out of double-teams. By the end of the first half, he was being booed for isolating on the last shot and air-balling the shot.
Randle seemed to tighten up as his struggles wore on and the crowd was poised to pounce. To his credit, he tried a few things to pick up his game. He chased boards and looked to make passes, but too often chose tougher options instead of simple passes. He caused turnovers and had passes deflected when he could have had hockey assists.
Thibodeau didn’t help the situation. He gave Obi Toppin a quick hook in the fourth quarter that left the sophomore visibly down on himself. That left Randle in for extended minutes during a game where he was struggling. Randle has to be better, but having him lead the team in minutes during a performance like this is begging for frustrations. That’s especially true when it comes at the expense of a recent high draft pick who plays his heart out with few rewards. Randle gets a 1.5 out of 5 for his rebounding.
P.S. Nobody is talking Knicks fans out of booing a player that isn’t playing well for such long stretches. But they’ll cheer as soon as he starts to play well or even does something gritty like diving for a loose ball. Randle’s play is the only thing that can change the reaction.
Mitchell Robinson: 13 PTS (4/4 FG, 5/9 FT), 11 REB, 1 STL, 4 BLK, 2 TO in 32 mins
Jakob Poeltl grabbed offensive rebounds in back-to-back possessions. On his next trip down Mitchell Robinson got to position and grabbed a defensive board. He would continue to chase down defensive rebounds which rounded out one of his best performances of the season. Mitch poured in points, drew fouls inside, devoured the boards, and cleaned up after his perimeter defenders.
Robinson’s motor has been on an upswing for weeks. But his work on the defensive glass has been inconsistent at best. By getting after those extra rebounds, he ticked up to a double-double and rounded out his game. Mitch did run into some issues when Dejounte Murray drew him away from the basket, but that’s on the defense at the point as much as anything else.
This performance was lacking one thing, consistent free-throw shooting. Ball handlers are finding Mitch on the roll more often but that’s leading to a lot of fouls. He managed 13 points on 4 field goal attempts, and that’s despite barely breaking 50% from the free-throw line. If he can make his shots count at the charity stripe, Mitch is fast approaching the force we expected him to develop into. Robinson gets a 3.5 out of 5 for controlling the paint at both ends of the floor.
A spark off the bench from Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes
Immanuel Quickley: 12 PTS (5/12 FG, 2/5 3PT), 6 AST, 4 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 25 mins
Immanuel Quickley is the best point guard on the Knicks right now. Until Kemba Walker or Derrick Rose returns, he looks like the best option to run the offense. Quickley’s craftiness as a scorer is translating more and more into creative dimes for teammates. His hesitation dribbles and head fakes create openings and now he’s creating lobs for Robinson and Toppin with greater frequency.
The sophomore is showing development as a scorer as well. He’s knocking down the pull-up jumper from mid-range and inside with more frequency, coupled with his tried and true weapons of the floater and deep range shooting. All of that is a recipe to create instant offense. So overall, defenders have to respect Quickley’s ability to get buckets and make reads to free up his teammates.
But there’s still more worth mentioning. Quickley also played quality defense for most of his time on the floor. Mike Breen lauded IQ’s development on defense after he helped create a turnover with ball denial. His pressure on the ball was great as well, he’s becoming a pest for ball-handlers. Quickley’s hitting on all cylinders right now, a perfect complement that can step up in multiple areas when needed. He grabs a 3 out of 5 for his performance leading the bench.
Quentin Grimes: 7 PTS (3/7 FG, 1/5 3PT), 6 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 28 mins
The Knicks’ 3 and D rookie didn’t have his three-pointer for this game. That didn’t stop him from being an impact player for good. Quentin Grimes’ contributions started on the defensive end. He forced a turnover on an offensive foul and followed that up with a steal. He ran into better offense from Dejounte Murray in the second half, but Grimes’ defensive effort was fun to watch.
But without his range, Grimes had to come up with ways to help on offense. He did just that by attacking off the dribble for a pair of pull-up jumpers and a series of nice assists. Some of these passes were high-level creation. The drive and drop to Mitch above is his best dime of the game, but there was another head fake to create a passing lane to Barrett from three that was almost equally beautiful.
This wasn’t a flawless game though. Grimes rushed a couple of his three-point looks. He stepped on the line and was responsible for a pair of turnovers that were self-inflicted. His motor is great but the prospect made some rookie mistakes throughout the night. That’s easy to give a pass when he shows some promise as an all-around player. Grimes gets a 2.5 out of 5 for showing that he’s capable of doing more than shooting threes and defending.
Obi Toppin: 6 PTS (3/4 FG, 0/1 3PT), 3 REB in 14 mins
Obi Toppin barely got a chance during the meaningful minutes of this game. He got around five minutes in the first half that was quiet outside of a rebound. He started the fourth quarter but was quickly pulled after challenging a shot at the rim that missed. It didn’t seem like a benching due to his own errant play, it was premature if it was. The sophomore looked dejected when he left the floor.
The fans chanted for Toppin before he returned for the struggling Randle. By that point, the game was in hand, but Obi finished two highlight dunks in the few minutes he got after. His night went back to forgettable when the benches cleared, but his brief appearance still managed to show chemistry with Immanuel Quickley.
Toppin didn’t clock 15 minutes, so I’m not giving him a performance score. He only closed in on the mark thanks to playing in garbage time. That said, he showed off his athleticism even with a limited opportunity. The sophomore has tools that warrant a longer look but his defense and shooting both still need work to force Tom Thibodeau’s hand.
Taj Gibson: 6 PTS (2/4 FG, 2/2 FT), 5 REB in 13 mins
Taj Gibson didn’t have a great performance. He left a couple of rebounds out there, allowing the ball to be poked from his hands by smaller guards. He also missed a look inside seemingly due to Poeltl’s presence.
That said, he still grabbed a good number of boards and scored at a solid clip for just 13 minutes of action. Mitchell Robinson’s play probably had more to do with the short minutes than anything else. Mitch earned extra time and the benches cleared to close the night. That left Taj with under 15 minutes and a pedestrian performance anyway.
McBride, Knox, Sims: 0/2 FG, 0/1 3PT, 1 BLK in 3 mins each
The youth got some garbage time, but not enough to do much. Jericho Sims denied a dunk attempt which was the only stand-out moment for the kids. But it was good to see them get some burn once the game was in hand.
The Knicks look good against a weaker foe, but Thibodeau didn’t do Randle any favors
Tom Thibodeau:
It was nice to see the offense run by perimeter players with faster ball movement and crisper cuts away from the rock. I’m not sure that was a decision by Thibodeau however. The most bizarre stat of the day is Randle’s team-leading 34 minutes during a game where he struggled mightily. I have no problem with attempts to get the star going, but this felt more like throwing him to the wolves.
On the other hand, giving RJ Barrett the keys worked out brilliantly. Immanuel Quickley’s role continues to evolve and I credit Thibodeau with letting the young guard run his own unit while Rose is out. Robinson also got a fair allotment of time for his performance (I’m not sure why he sat to begin the third quarter). Even Quentin Grimes is getting some love from Thibs. We’re seeing more of the youth, and it’s leading to some incredible moments…just look at this.
The Knicks handled business, and their head coach gets credit for his system looking so effective. His defense is on an upswing and it’s not just the quality of opponents. Players look like they’re more comfortable and giving better effort recently (ie: Fournier and Mitch). The soft spot of the schedule is no doubt of help, but it feels like players are coming into their own. For heading up a blowout, Tom Thibodeau gets a 2.5 out of 5. I’m still docking him for leaving Randle out there languishing, that wasn’t fair to the player or the team.
Closing Thoughts
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that this was the time for New York to make a push. The schedule is soft and presented an opportunity to find its footing. The Knicks have done their part, going 8-5 in their last 13 games and winning 4 in a row at home. They’ve tied their mark from last year and also tied the Celtics for the final play-in spot. That means this run has created some positive momentum but their competition for playoff position has made pushes of their own. There is no margin for error and the schedule will start to get tougher soon.
But this is where it gets interesting. The Knicks have made this run with their star struggling mightily and their leader off the bench out due to ankle surgery. Without Rose or Walker, the Knicks have had to find ball movement and creativity from guards that typically focus on scoring. While Randle has searched for his 2021 success, RJ Barrett has had to step up and finally take the reins in earnest. New York will undoubtedly need Randle to be better and at least one of Rose or Kemba back to consistently beat playoff competition, but now other players know that they can step up too.
The next game represents a good chance for Randle to bounce back or the developing youth to continue its ascent (hopefully both). The Dallas Mavericks have a better record than any team New York has played in that 13 game stretch I mentioned. They’ll bring a 6-game win streak into the Garden along with some former Knicks and one of the best players in the NBA. New York still has to prove they can step up when the competition gets tougher and this is their chance.
We’ll find out how they handle this steep incline on Wednesday night. We can meet back here and take a look at the performances. I’ll see you then 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 the debate on whether boos should be accepted and if Knicks fans are toxic!
