The New York Knicks fall to the Boston Celtics 107-114 with Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier leading the charge.
Catch the full Knicks Fan TV Postgame show on all major podcast platforms below:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcasts
• Stitcher
The short-handed New York Knicks fought hard but ran out of gas against the Boston Celtics, losing 107 to 114. The Knicks only had eight active players, which was exacerbated by foul trouble. The Celtics took off with an early lead, which left the Knicks working back from a deficit for most of the second and third quarters. But by the fourth, fatigue and poor defense combined to put this game just out of reach for the Knicks.
This was a homecoming of sorts for Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier who played inspired basketball against their former team. Mitchell Robinson added some defense off the bench, but the second unit mustered just three points of support for the team. This was a good effort from a severely handicapped team. Let’s revisit the hard work and appreciate these guys leaving it all out there.
Knicks’ starters get a boost from Kemba’s return
Kemba Walker: 29 PTS (8/20 FG, 5/11 3PT, 8/10 FT), 3 AST, 6 REB, 1 TO in 37 mins
This is what a statement game looks like. Kemba Walker had fresh legs and every reason to leave it all out on the floor. He did so with a barrage of threes, elusive ball-handling, and some solid rebounding for the shortest player on the floor. He might as well have had a sign that said “I’m not finished” flashing like a billboard.
Walker’s three-point shooting was the most visible aspect of his game. He hit shots all over the arc and against varying degrees of pressure. The Celtics could never break too far ahead thanks to Walker’s and Fournier’s constant pressure at range. It helped that Julius Randle set a lot of solid screens both on and off the ball. But don’t sleep on those 10 free throw attempts either because Walker got into the teeth of the defense more effectively than his other performances as a Knick.
On the downside, we saw the New York native’s glaring weakness on display as well. Walker got into early foul trouble and the Celtics went right him for the rest of the night. Even Payton Pritchard frequently took the rock right at New York’s point guard, scoring seemingly at will. The Knicks couldn’t get enough stops in this game and that’s one area that Walker can’t help them with. The prodigal point guard still gets a 3 out of 5 for his offensive explosion, hampered only by that defense.
Alec Burks: 19 PTS (5/9 FG, 3/6 3PT, 6/7 FT), 4 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 4 TO in 41 mins
A few bad turnovers managed to dominate my memories of Alec Burks’ game. That’s unfortunate, because moving back into an off-ball role paid immediate dividends for Burks’ scoring and efficiency. The quality of shots he got was simply better than when he has to create for himself all night. His free throw rate didn’t dip either, as opportunities to cut into a misaligned defense kept appearing for Burks to capitalize on.
We have to talk about the turnovers because a pair of them came later in the game and felt brutal. For some reason, Tom Thibodeau likes having Burks inbound the ball and it has led to some frustrating moments (even since last season). There are enough examples of this to think Burks is part of the problem, but execution out of timeouts has been terrible for the team as a whole. That starts to make this more of a coaching problem.
Yet Burks had his most efficient night in a long time. He added some solid assists, good rebounding, and an unfortunate dose of turnovers to offset some of that. For 41 minutes of work, it’s not the most impressive output but it’s pretty good out of a fourth weapon in the unit. This was a good reminder of how efficient off-ball Burks can be. He gets a 2.5 out of 5 on the night.
Evan Fournier: 32 PTS (13/24 FG, 4/10 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TO in 43 mins
Before we dive into the leading scoring effort of Evan Fournier, let’s talk defense. Nothing embodied Fournier’s focused effort like a second-quarter sequence in isolation against Jayson Tatum. The French wing didn’t back down from his elite opponent, sticking with his moves and forcing a contested jumper. Fournier was locked in on both ends and showed that he can be a competent defensive piece when he’s zeroed in.
But the defense isn’t the real story here, it’s just a new wrinkle. Fournier was near brilliant with the ball in his hands. He got downhill constantly, scoring inside early and producing some dimes after. The free-agent acquisition poured in threes as well, sometimes from Steph Curry and Trae Young range. He put pressure on the defense from every approach and angle. We can live with the turnovers if he’s going to play that aggressively.
If only Fournier could play the Celtics every night. He had 23 points in the last one, so this could be a continuation of a major bounce back. But there was a different energy to Fournier from the opening tip. It showed up in his refusal to be stopped from getting into the lane and his sharper attention to details on defense. This is what we signed up for with that big contract, now let’s hope he keeps that momentum. Fournier grabs a 4 out of 5 for a big night and his best defensive game of the season.
Julius Randle: 20 PTS (6/19 FG, 1/7 3PT, 7/8 FT), 7 AST, 9 REB, 1 BLK, 4 TO in 41 mins
Hot hands moved Julius Randle to a more off-ball focused role while injuries pushed him to the perimeter more. That’s because Tom Thibodeau had no choice but to move Randle to the small forward for a few sequences of this game. To Randle’s credit, he took on any role and played within the team concept better than usual (fewer forced possessions). But his inability to make even wide-open shots severely hampered his impact.
This might have been the best night for getting the quality looks that Randle has had all season. Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker were commanding all sorts of attention and it meant Randle got a lot of free looks from range. He also got to attack some defenders in isolation, which was when he got his best results. Just by knocking down the open looks, New York’s star could have turned in a 30 point performance rather than a fairly pedestrian 20 points from 19 tries.
On the bright side, Randle saw hot shooters and fed them. Dribble handoffs were crisper and he got his body in the way of would-be closeouts often. The big man’s shot selection wasn’t bad until he began to press late in the game. I think we’re seeing him really work to find a more balanced approach, with some mental lapses in the mix. Hopefully, he keeps it up long enough to reap positive rewards. Randle gets a 2.5 out of 5, hurt by some late turnovers and poor shooting but solid nonetheless.
Nerlens Noel: 4 PTS (2/2 FG), 1 AST, 8 REB, 2 STL, 3 BLK in 25 mins
Nerlens Noel was quietly competent with his minutes. He never had any major standout sequences, for neither good nor bad reasons. Instead, Noel utilized his minutes for solid work on the glass, a few points inside, and a healthy dose of shots challenged at the rim.
I probably say this too often, but the steals were the most entertaining part of Noel’s game yet again. There aren’t many bigs with such a knack for poking the ball loose from ball handlers as they turn the corner on screens. New York’s shot blocker is also great at recovering to poke the ball loose from a step behind the slasher. That makes him a dual-threat, if he can’t steal the ball he’ll block it at the rim.
This was a nice indication that the Nerlens Noel from last season is on his way. Noel missed the entire preseason and multiple chunks of this regular season with injuries. He’s only just beginning to move well, let alone start impacting games with his frenetic defense. He could go a long way to making up for the shoddy rotations of starters if he gets his mobility back to peak performance. Noel gets a solid 2.5 out of 5 for good minutes in this one.
Not enough firepower off the bench from New York
Wayne Selden: 0 PTS (0/2 FG, 0/1 3PT) in 9 mins
Wayne Selden came in for spot minutes to spell the guards. He was relegated to a secondary role and didn’t get much chance to capitalize on his time. The best thing I can say is that he didn’t stand out for anything bad, though he did miss an open look.
Taj Gibson: 0 PTS (0/2 FG, 0/1 3PT), 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 22 mins
I hate to say bad things about a Taj Gibson performance, but this one was forgettable. He was back at the power forward position which means less to do inside and more work from afar. That’s not his bag. Gibson tried another three but was relegated to swing passing and some screen-setting for most of the game.
Gibson was still good for some nice rotations and help defense. There were a handful of plays with the massive Randle/Gibson/Robinson frontcourt where they seemed to get defensive assignments crossed up. But other than those fleeting mistakes, you could rely on Gibson being in the right place to help while he was on the floor. I wonder if he’s the communication link who helps Mitch with his defensive positioning, especially for these past two games.
Taj didn’t manage much impact in the stat-line, but he was better than the blank sheet suggests. Not by much though. He was a decent defensive presence but provided nothing offensively. Gibson wasn’t as invisible as the numbers imply, but New York needed more in 20+ minutes of action. Gibson gets a 1.5 out of 5 for the low contributions.
Mitchell Robinson: 3 PTS (1/2 FG, 1/3 FT), 8 REB, 2 STL in 22 mins
Mitchell Robinson spent a chunk of the second quarter limping up and down the court. Even hobbled after bumping knees, he still managed to get inside and have an impact. That was the type of game Mitch had, a second straight night of genuine effort and positive defensive impact.
Robinson’s defense was the whole show. He may not have clocked any blocks, but his presence inside changed shots and forced some struggles for the Celtics. He also seemed to absorb some of Noel’s prowess producing steals. Mitch was poking at the ball even when ball handlers picked up their dribble and just didn’t have enough body to shield it properly. Robinson has the size and length to be a bully now, as long as his effort is consistent.
Now comes the downside, Mitch had little to offer offensively. The two players that were utilizing his lob threat both entered health and safety protocols prior to the game. That left Mitch with kick-out-oriented ball-handlers that rarely capitalized on his rim running. Between that and the Celtics keeping Robinson from easy putbacks (they put him on the line instead) led to a low-scoring affair on few attempts. Robinson still nets a 2 out of 5 for a solid night, but it’s a bench player’s performance through and through.
Time for new inbounds plays for Thibodeau and the staff
Tom Thibodeau:
There’s not a lot to scrutinize about Tom Thibodeau’s rotations. He had eight players available and unless you were aching for more minutes from Wayne Selden, this was what he had to do. Thibs had some additional issues as Kemba got into early foul trouble and Mitch was hobbled by a clash of knees at one point. He genuinely had his hands tied and made do with what he could use.
That said, the lack of substitution patterns to discuss leaves me room to complain about something else. The New York Knicks have to be near the bottom of the league when it comes to execution out of the timeout. Thibodeau predictably draws up plays to either isolate Randle or one of his shot creators on the perimeter. You rarely see second and third passes or much off-ball action besides maybe a decoy cut here and there. Thibodeau needs to get more creative and generate some easy points.
That said, I can’t dock Thibs much from a game with no options. I suppose if we want to pile on, we can always point out that Kemba Walker is still an NBA pro but was benched quickly. But Walker still showed his glaring weakness of defense, so even that feels like a reach. Thibodeau needs healthy players before we can attack his substitution patterns. Thibodeau gets a 2.5 out of 5 because it’s hard to give him anything else with so little to work with.
Closing Thoughts:
Nothing says “this season is cursed” like a series of players being placed in the health protocol right after potential breakout games. I just spent a recap talking about the youth giving us optimism again and now all but one player under the age of 23 is in quarantine. The Knicks vaunted bench was non-existent against Boston because they’re all unavailable.
So now we’re looking for optimism in the way that vets used these extra minutes instead. Kemba proved he can still be an offensive force. Fournier has put together a pair of scoring gems of his own. While Julius Randle is still struggling, I think we’re seeing some humble attempts to adjust and I’d like to give him more time with this trend. My fingers are crossed that when players start returning, the promising developments of the vets will continue as compliments for that help the young guys instead of clashing with them.
The time to make a decision about the Knicks’ direction is fast-approaching. The playoff race is tight, but that means 12th place is a losing streak away just like 5th is a few wins back. The Detroit Pistons are next, with the slowing Washington Wizards and struggling Atlanta Hawks after. New York’s short-handed roster couldn’t come at a worse time, but if they can get these wins then the road to the post-season looks far less daunting. Let’s see if Detroit represents a chance to regroup and discuss it all after the action 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 a new edition of Battle of the Fans where Ari from Manhattan and Fredo go head-to-head.
