The Knicks beat the Cavaliers 100-93 in what was their first game in Madison Square Garden in over 9 months. The Knicks came from behind to mount a comeback late in the fourth quarter in a game that was filled with both high and low points for the team. This win has ensured that the Knicks will not have a losing record in the preseason and despite the fact that preseason record does not matter, it’s important for the young players to learn what winning feels like.
Quick Turnaround
The Knicks showed real teamwork and came back to win late in the fourth quarter, trailing 83-66 with ten minutes left. One player that had a major impact on this was rookie Immanuel Quickley. The young guard was given more minutes in his home debut because of injuries to Frank Ntilikina and Austin Rivers, and the lackluster performances of Elfrid Payton and Dennis Smith Jr. He contributed 9 points in 25 minutes but where he impressed most was his ability to make plays happen. Quickley racked up 6 assists in the game and finished with a +/- of +19, a team-high. Quickley’s season-high for assists at Kentucky was 5 which he achieved against LSU. Quickley had previously talked about how he felt he had a point to prove, and he showed his ability to play both on and off the ball last night. The question now is how consistently he can perform at this level and could he establish himself as the number one option at point guard.
Trusting the Young Core
Mitchell Robinson was the starting center against the Cavaliers. Tom Thibodeau stated that he was always going to start him in this game even before they knew about the injury to Nerlens Noel. Despite a shaky start picking up fouls early, Robinson calmed himself and never got his sixth. He was also trusted to close out the game, with coach Thibs going with a very young line-up of Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox, Obi Toppin, and Mitchell Robinson. Rookie Obi Toppin was the oldest player on the court for the Knicks. Despite being behind the young team put on a show. It included another efficient performance by RJ, who contributed 16 points on 50% shooting, and he scored all of his free throw attempts, an area he regularly struggles with. There was good ball movement by the young core and despite not having any assists, Obi Toppin once again showed his impressive passing ability. One player really made an impact in the final quarter, Kevin Knox.
Kevin Knox
Knox shook off a shaky start where it looked like nothing was going to fall for him. He finished the game with 16 points, 14 of which came in the 4th quarter. Knox played hard on the defensive end, even when his shot wasn’t working, allowing him to figure it out. Knox hit 3 three-pointers in the fourth quarter, including a buzzer-beater. Knox looks like he is playing with a confidence that was not there last season. Part of this confidence could be due to his reunion with assistant coach Kenny Payne who worked with Knox at Kentucky. Hopefully, he will be able to push on from his tough sophomore year and show a marked improvement in year 3.
It must be remembered that it is still preseason, but you cannot underestimate the value of the experience that the young players gained from not only coming back from a large deficit but to see it out and win. The Knicks will play their final preseason game against the Cavaliers again in Madison Square Garden on Friday night.
Check out CP’s reaction to the game below.
