The New York Knicks lost to the Utah Jazz 104-113. The Knicks were in command for a majority of the game until the final minutes.
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The New York Knicks failed to close against the Utah Jazz, falling 104 to 113. The Knicks showed up and fought a competitive battle. Their best players put together strong performances and held a lead after three quarters. But fatigue set in and players lost composure in the final minutes. New York was outscored by thirteen points in that closing stanza.
Mitchell Robinson was spectacular and Julius Randle continued his upward trend on the court. Cam Reddish hit the floor for significant minutes and showed us some good and some bad. There’s plenty to talk about from a competitive but tough loss, let’s get to the individual performances and impact scores.
The Knicks’ starters get a boost from the beasts in the front court
Alec Burks: 5 PTS (2/10 FG, 0/4 3PT, 1/1 FT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 31 mins
Alec Burks was back with the starters, and struggling once again. He never got into a rhythm despite getting some open opportunities throughout the night. His one positive moment came on a drive to through the lane with five minutes left in the action. Burks finished through the foul and tied the game up, but he contributed little else to the offense.
To make matters worse, Burks had a nightmare match-up trying to guard Donovan Mitchell for long spells of this game. He couldn’t stay in front of Mitchell and consistently gave up lanes to the basket for the star shooting guard. Burks didn’t fare much better against crafty Mike Conley, who hit contested shots and drew fouls against the struggling guard.
To Burks’ credit, he worked hard. The microwave scorer may not have found his offense, but he did fly in for some important rebounds. It’s hard to be mad at a player that’s constantly seeing his role switched. Burks scores a 1 out of 5 for his impact in a rough performance.
Evan Fournier: 16 PTS (5/12 FG, 4/8 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 31 mins
Evan Fournier hit a few timely threes, that ought to be enough for this game to be a positive. But I have a feeling fans will remember his big turnover late with the Knicks down by three. Tom Thibodeau had just called a timeout and the play seemed to be run through Fournier, but he turned over the rock and gave up an easy transition bucket.
That said, Fournier had earned Thibodeau’s faith by being the only proven three-point threat on the floor. Everyone else shot miserably from long range, and Fournier had just tied the game earlier by launching a shot from well behind the arc. He played a solid game of basketball up to that unfortunate turnover.
But while the turnover will steal focus, the other drawback from Fournier was defense. He missed rotations that left Royce O’neal and Jordan Clarkson open. The shooters knocked down dagger after dagger, that created an uphill battle for New York. Fournier’s offense wasn’t a problem for most of the night, but his defense was. The French wing picks up 2 out of 5 for poor defense and a backbreaking turnover.
RJ Barrett: 23 PTS (8/25 FG, 1/7 3PT, 6/8 FT), 6 AST, 7 REB, 1 TO in 43 mins
The numbers are what they are for this performance. RJ Barrett started out with a spark, but couldn’t hit his threes and seemed to lose his legs late. The rising prospect had some nice drives early and knocked down a few mid and close ranger jumpers that were exciting to watch. But by the end of the third quarter, he was missing bunnies. In the fourth, he was pressing for offense with bad shot selection.
But the inefficiency isn’t the whole story. Barrett had one of his best playmaking games of the entire season, humble assist tally aside. He was the catalyst that got Cam Reddish energized early, and made a series of smart passes to corner shooters. On his occasional post-ups, Barrett had his head up and spotted cutters to the basket well.
The young man also played some of the best defense on Donovan Mitchell that any Knick can muster. That’s only a half-hearted compliment because the perimeter defense was poor as a whole. But Barrett was the one guard that Mitchell actively sought to screen off for a switch. Barrett’s inefficient but promising night warrants a 3 out of 5.
Julius Randle: 30 PTS (10/20 FG, 2/5 3PT, 8/12 FT), 5 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 5 TO in 38 mins
Julius Randle pieced together his best performance in some time, helped along by the fact that his jumper was in 2021 form. The big man started the game with a heavy dose of ball movement, most notably passing the ball to runners in transition rather than dribbling the length of the floor. It’s a simple change in approach but it speeds things up for everyone and takes advantage of RJ Barrett’s strengths. Randle moved the ball well in halfcourt situations as well, creating good looks for shooters who didn’t always take advantage.
Randle’s scoring took shape in the middle quarters, as he was able to knock down a series of jumpers in isolation. The Jazz allowed Randle to pick out some mismatches and post up without worrying about double-teams. He responded by hitting a series of fading jumpers from midrange reminiscent of last season. A tried and true issue arose however, as Randle picked up turnovers and took some bad shots when the Jazz adjusted and he failed to switch approaches fast enough. Had he gone back to quick passes from the first quarter, he could have left Utah on its heels.
Recent team struggles and off-court drama might make you miss the fact that Julius Randle has shot over 50 percent from the field in three of his past four games. The Knicks’ star is quietly stitching together his best stretch of basketball since mid-November. That shouldn’t completely erase the thumbs down or shirking media duties, but I think success on the court will help relieve some of the stress off the court. The next step is for Randle’s productivity to lead to some wins over quality opponents. Randle gets a 3.5 out of 5 for an efficient scoring night, but still too many turnovers.
Mitchell Robinson: 19 PTS (8/11 FG, 3/6 FT), 1 AST, 21 REB, 2 STL, 3 BLK in 36 mins
My notes from Mitchell Robinson’s first half simply read “MONSTER!!!” Robinson didn’t let up in the second-half either. The big man feasted on the glass, absorbing any loose ball that came near his massive wing span. He flew above would-be rebounders and cleaned up the misses of his teammates. Those second-chance buckets were huge, helping to make up for a series of points New York gave up from turnovers. Transition buckets generally lead to momentum swings, but Mitch was always around to make sure the Knicks had ample opportunity to respond.
We’re used to Mitch being a force on defense, but this was another level. I don’t say that this was one of the shot blocker’s best defensive performances lightly. His drop coverage against pick and rolls was enough to deter everyone not named Donovan Mitchell. On two occasions he was late rotating to a slasher and the player still panic passed the ball off. Robinson’s rim protection was elite, and he also managed to deflect passes and poke the ball free from ball handlers.
My only complaint falls on free throw shooting. Mitch missed a pair of free throws deep in the fourth quarter with New York trailing. His erratic shooting at the line means he HAS to finish when he gets the ball inside, because teams have a free out by fouling him. The Kings even intentionally fouled him away from the ball a few times last week. But free throws are the only complaint I can levy, Robinson was brilliant and just one freebie away from a 20 and 20 night with five stocks to go with it. Robinson gets a 4.5 out of 5, eluded by the perfect score because of those key free throws.
Low minutes and production for the Knicks’ second unit but a Cam Reddish sighting helps
Immanuel Quickley: 5 PTS (2/9 FG, 1/5 3PT), 4 AST, 5 REB, 3 TO in 24 mins
Despite struggling mightily from the field, Immanuel Quickley still managed to be the Knicks’ best point guard (which isn’t saying much). He at least provided playmaking, though a few passes got called back due to fouls or missteps out of bounds. IQ’s problem wasn’t his passing, but the fact that he could buy a basket.
Quickley knocked down one of his patented floaters, and a quick leaning three pointer. They were both among his most difficult shots of the night. But he seemed to hesitate on better looks and sometimes it felt like he was stuck between the decision to shoot or pass. That’s my only explanation for his poor shooting and atypical night of turnovers.
The most frustrating part of Quickley’s recent struggles are that he’s failing to capitalize on Alec Burks’ struggles. This is his chance to earn a bigger role in the offense, but he can’t seem to find his jumper or strike a balance between the playmaker and the scorer. The best compliment I can give is that he’ll get there with more time, but his struggles mean less minutes instead. Quickley gets a 2 out of 5 for a pedestrian performance.
Cam Reddish: 6 PTS /(1/4 FG, 0/2 3PT, 4/4 FT), 2 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 15 mins
Cam Reddish got to the free throw line twice, but that was enough to flash potential. On one drawn foul, he dribbled past his defender then changed directions with a crossover to get the step inside. The next set of free throws came as he made a clever cut to the basket while RJ Barrett posted up.
Cam didn’t have the best night shooting. He actually hit his first three of the night, but Immanuel Quickley had stepped on the line before passing so it didn’t count. Reddish would brick his next two attempts badly. But he was active off the dribble and didn’t force things, kicking the ball out when traffic clogged the lanes.
The best part of Cam’s night was his defense. With Grimes out for a sore knee, Cam Reddish took on the role of defender off the bench. He poked a steal loose from Jordan Clarkson and had strong defensive possessions against Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell. That versatility is promising, even if it comes with blemishes like back-to-back second quarter turnovers. Reddish gets a 2.5 out of 5 for his defense in his first appearance to qualify for an impact score.
Obi Toppin: 0 PTS (0/3 FG, 0/2 3PT), 2 REB in 10 mins
Obi Toppin missed all three of his attempts, two of which came from three. He doesn’t have the luxury of Derrick Rose creating easy cutting lanes or anticipating Obi sealing a small defender on the switch. So Obi’s forced to play outside of his comfort zone and the end result is less playing time. Obi’s ten minutes were forgettable outside of an alley-oop dunk that didn’t count.
Nerlens Noel: 0 PTS (0/1 FG), 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 12 mins
We didn’t see much of Nerlens Noel in this game because Mitchell Robinson was so dominant. Noel didn’t do anything to warrant a benching, he just didn’t have the same impact that Mitch did. The big man did have a nice moment poking the ball loose from an increasingly frustrated Hassan Whiteside though.
Noel only got 12 minutes total, falling short of the threshold for a performance score. He had a quiet night in that time, playing solid defense but not doing much else.
Chasing the win backfires for Tom Thibodeau in game one of a back to back:
Tom Thibodeau:
I won’t fault Tom Thibodeau for chasing a win, but he leaned on his starters to the point of exhaustion. They had no legs on their three’s or their lay-ups by crunch time. New York failed to secure the victory and now have the daunting task of trying to stop Nikola Jokic. They’ll do that a day after RJ played 43 minutes, Randle played 38, and Mitch played 36. Those guys carried the Knicks on day one, but face an equally daunting opponent without rest.
But we’re not focused on the Nuggets. How did Thibs coach against Utah?
I’d say he did a half-decent job for a coach with limited options at point guard and his defensive stopper out. Thibodeau began to double Donovan Mitchell out of half-time, which forced the other Jazz players to pick up their offense. The Jazz responded by making their shots and that was the gap in this result. The Knicks missed open threes and a slew of free throws, but otherwise matched and often outmatched Utah in most areas. Mitchell proved to be the great equalizer until New York’s errors piled up enough for the Jazz to take over.
The results of this game are brutal, because Thibodeau seemed to pour everything into getting the win. He wore down his starters with another game less than a day away. But I understand the approach, this victory was within reach and neither of the back-to-backs were ever going to be easy. The insurance win would have been nice, but now Thibs faces a much bigger challenge when Jokic takes the floor. Thibodeau notches a 3 out of 5 for a good idea hurt by his players’ inability to take the easy points they’re given.
Closing Thoughts
I found myself numb to the final result in Utah. Wins and losses have slipped on my list of priorities next to figuring out what the road forward looks like. I’ve made no secret that I want New York to be sellers at the deadline, and to make space for youth. RJ and Mitch have been the bright spots of the season, and both will need money to keep around. Players like IQ, Reddish, Grimes, and Obi are showing promise but need minutes to either realize their potential or show us what’s missing from the future core. That means this is perfect timing to talk about the latest trade rumor that would resolve those issues.
After Portland traded Norman Powell in what was essentially a salary dump, the Knicks quickly became name dropped as a team pursuing CJ Mccollum. The Portland Trail Blazer’s star is expensive at over 30-million dollars per season, but he’s a massive upgrade and would cost multiple players to land. That means New York could clear some logjams in the process of buying low on a big-time player at a discount. My problem with the idea is that CJ will need big minutes and immediately push RJ Barrett back from his recent arrival as the top option on offense…also, this fire-sale feels like the precursor to a Damian Lillard trade demand that I would prefer New York be involved in.
But before we figure out the next direction, New York has business in the present. They’re not out of the play-in race and every game counts. The Denver Nuggets is next for another late-night game. The starters will be tired and the bench has been struggling mightily in the past couple of games. This feels like a recipe for disaster, but it also spells opportunity for the youthful bench pieces that are fighting for more opportunities. We’ll see if they capitalize in the next one and whether that impacts New York’s outlook approaching the trade deadline. See you next time 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 Ryan McDonough, former General Managers of the Phoenix Suns, to get insight on how NBA teams maneuver the NBA Trade Deadline.
