N.Y. Knicks: Another Strong Second Half Effort This Time Secures Victory in Game Two

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

PLAYOFFS: ROUND ONE

Game Two

Hawks    92

KNICKS  101

FINAL

Second Half Defense Grounds Hawks

We saw this before: the Knicks get off to another slow start.  Although, I was in the car at the time listening to the radio.  

In the first quarter of game one, they were outscored by eight; Wednesday, they get outscored in the first, this time by seven.  But whereas the Knicks trailed by two at the half of game one, this time they walk off to the locker room down by a concerning 13 points.  

I'm sure Tom Thibodeau had a few choice words for his squad.  Because in the second half, the Knicks held Atlanta to 18 points in the third quarter and just 17 points in the fourth, or said another way, just 35 points in the second half.  Meanwhile, the Knicks score 32 points in a big third quarter and followed up with 25 points in the final session en route to a 57-35 second-half advantage and a much-needed nine-point margin of victory. 

Nerlens Noel was back on the floor and helped the Knicks outrebound the Hawks by a handsome 54-41 difference.  The Knicks also outscored Atlanta 42-28 in the paint.

Trae Young again leads the floor with 30 points in 35 minutes.  Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic, the two you would expect, led all shooters with 20 and 21 attempts, respectively.

Meanwhile, Tom Thibodeau once again throws some crumbs Elfrid Payton's way; five minutes.  While that's still worth pondering, Derrick Rose clocks in with a team-high 39 minutes off the bench, in which he leads the Knicks with both 21 shot attempts and 26 points.  This is also to say Julius Randle did not lead the Knicks in attempts as is his custom.  Lest we forget, one has playoffs experience, and the other does not.  Overall, the bench contributes 55 points thus accounting for 54.4% of the Knicks scoring.  Obi Toppin was both effective and opportunistic, with eight points in twelve minutes.

Julius Randle was an improved performer over game one.  His game numbers betray him.  Let's call him clutch, then.  Randle finishes with 15 points and twelve rebounds in 35 minutes.  His drive the lane floater with 1:13 left in the fourth put the Knicks safely ahead by a 100-91 margin.  

Reggie Bullock added 14 points, and RJ Barrett chipped in with 13 points in 26 minutes.  Alec Burks' scoring line also betrays him, eleven points in 30 minutes, but unlike the Hawks, he provided an extra measure of scoring depth off the bench.

Despite another precarious start, the Knicks finish strong again.  The challenge now is to get the first quarter under control because they've demonstrated in two consecutive games against the Hawks they come on strong in the second half.

N.Y. Knicks: This Season Was Brought To You By The Letter "F"

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

((((( ( (FORTY)))))))

SUNDAY

BOSTON CELTICS

vs.

NEW YORK KNICKS

FROM

Eighth Ave Gym

No one, media, fans, or otherwise, predicted this season's regular-season win total would start with the letter F.  But the Eighth Avenue crew blew right through the letter T with continued winning through the teens, the twenties, and thirties.  

Holy F, what an accomplishment!

Moreover, no one could have imagined chanting M-V-P this season for one of their own.  But that's just what happened.  Under the tutelage of Coach Thibodeau, Julius Randle has become one of the premier stars of the league.

Against Charlotte on Saturday, Julius Randle led the floor with 33 points in 46 minutes.  It's the 15th time this season he's eclipsed 30 points in a game, and along with ten rebounds and a game-high 13 assists, Julius notches his sixth triple-double this season.

Reggie Bullock was next in with 17 points in 40 minutes.  Led by Derrick Rose's 15 points, the bench accounted for 44 points or 37.2% of the Knicks scoring.  Immanuel Quickly led the Knicks with a +18 and 13 points in 24 minutes.

On Sunday. the tentatively fourth-ranked Knicks end the season against the number seven Boston Celtics.  Today's games will greatly impact the final standings for the Knicks, the number five Hawks, and the number six Miami Heat.

POSTGAME

Celtics   92

Knicks   96

FINAL

The Knicks take the season series Celtics, three games to two, and lock up the fourth spot in the conference.  They wrap up the season on a three-game win streak and finish with a 41-31 (.569) record.  Their +2.4 point differential is fourth in the conference.  Julius Randle finishes an incredible season with 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in 37 minutes.  For the season, he averages 24.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and six assists, in an NBA high 37.56 minutes per game.

RJ Barrett led the Knicks with 22 points in 33 minutes.  It was the 33rd time this season he scored 20-points or more.  Last season he accomplished the feat 15 times.

N.Y. Knicks: Chris Paul's Hail Mary Finds Net

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

Chris Paul's Monday Night Miracle

Ends Knicks Winning Streak at Nine

Suns   118

Knicks 110

FINAL

As Julius Randle Goes, So Go The Knicks

There was a point in the first quarter when the Knicks led by ten.  Four minutes left in the second, they led by 13 points and took a seven-point lead into the half.  Their largest lead of the game was 15 points.  But next thing you know, the Phoenix Suns jump ahead 84-83 with 1:30 left in the third.  With 3:30 left in the fourth quarter, a big defensive play by Derrick Rose kept the Knicks deficit to a manageable four points.  But with the shot clock winding down, Chris Paul's miracle shot from the great beyond pushed the dagger into the Knicks side.  Paul's desperation three made it a 115-110 game with a minute left.  The Knicks would lose by eight; the consecutive winning streak comes to a halt at nine.

Phoenix had three scorers with 20 points or better led by Devin Booker's game-high 33 points in 41 minutes.  Chris Paul was huge down the stretch and finished with 20 points and six assists in 34 minutes.

Julius Randle was off, and as he goes so go the Knicks.  He was 6/17 from the field and 3/4 from the line for 18 points.  Reggie Bullock and RJ Barrett contributed 17 points apiece.  Derrick Rose led the Knicks with 22 points and tied for game-high with six assists but posted an uncharacteristic minus-14 in 33 minutes off the bench.

The loss knots the Bockers in a fourth-place conference tie with the Atlanta Hawks.  Sixth place Boston trails both teams by 1.5 games.

Let the countdown begin as only ten games remain in the regular season, more than half of which will be on the road.  After hosting Chicago on Wednesday, the Knicks embark on a six-game trip through the West before returning to close out the season's final three games at home.

N.Y. Knicks: Eight is Great

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

Midweek Thriller at the Garden

WEDNESDAY

Hawks   127

Knicks   137

FINAL/OT

Three Overtime Victories Highlight Eight Game Winning Streak

Julius Randle may be the shining star on this team, but Derrick Rose is the quiet captain since his arrival from Detroit.

Eight games ago, the Knicks took Memphis into overtime and won by four; Rose scored 19 points in 26 minutes.  Last Sunday, the Knicks took New Orleans into overtime and won by ten; Rose scored 23 points, his most since joining the Knicks.  On Wednesday, he calmly helped gear up his mates for yet another extra session. 

A two-point deficit at halftime was increased to seven points after three quarters.  But once Derrick Rose tied the game at 109-109 with 6:25 left in regulation, Julius Randle scored ten of his game-high 40 points in the remaining minutes of the fourth to send this game into overtime.  Once there, the Knicks outscored the Atlanta Hawks 15-5 for a ten-point margin of victory.

Julius Randle continues leading the league with 37.5 minutes per game.  Under Coach Thibs, he's been making the most of it.  With 10.4 rebounds and 23.9 points per game, Randle is one of just 14 NBA players averaging a double-double for the season.  He is presently averaging 27.0 points per game through twelve games in April.  Wednesday's effort was the second time in his last four games that Julius scored at least 40 points.

Derrick Rose absolutely helped facilitate the win with 20 points and a plus-14 in 30 minutes off the bench.  Immanuel Quickley also contributed 20 points in 30 minutes, but his game-high plus-29 proved the most imperative contribution of all.

Atlanta's Clint Capela led all players with 22 rebounds.  However, the Knicks outrebounded the Hawks 49-41, led by eleven from Randle and a team-high twelve from Nerlens Noel, who literally rendered blood for the cause.  

Team Thibs pulled this game out despite eleven fewer possessions.  Reggie Bullock added 18 points in 40 minutes, and RJ Barrett connected for 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 41 minutes.

The Knicks improved their record to 33-27 (.550) and move into fourth place, one half-game ahead of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference standings.  They remain the stingiest team in the league, allowing an average of 104.7 points per game, and their 20 home victories rank third-most in the conference.

And, yes, they are now winners of eight in a row!

N.Y. Knicks: Overtime Victory Over New Orleans Extends Win Streak to Six

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

SUNDAY

Pelicans 112

Knicks   122

FINAL/OT

The Only Thing Missing From This Overtime Thriller Was a Frenzied Capacity Crowd Raising the Roof at Madison Square Garden

The Knickerbockers overcome a four-point first-quarter deficit en route to a 13-point lead at the half.  But New Orleans outscores the Knicks by 13 points, tying the game 79-79 after three quarters.  

With 3:44 left in regulation, Lonzo Ball puts the Pelicans up by seven.  Derrick Rose keeps things tight with six points over the next two minutes; his three at 1:30 reduces the Knicks deficit to three.  Two free throws by Nerlens Noel bring the Knicks to within one.  But Eric Bledsoe sinks two free throws with 7.6 seconds left, giving the Pelicans a three-point lead.  With 2.3 seconds left on the clock, Reggie Bullock nails a game-tying three-pointer after a Knicks timeout.  At the other end of the floor, a Derrick Rose block of Bledsoe's last-second attempt sends the game into overtime.  The Knicks then outscored New Orleans in the extra session by a 19-9 margin for the victory.

Zion Williamson led the floor with 34 points along with nine rebounds in 42 minutes.  Julius Randle led the Knicks with 33 points with a game-high ten assists in 47 minutes.  

Eric Bledsoe followed Williamson with 22 points and four assists in 38 minutes.  But Derrick Rose trumped him with 23 points and five assists, and a plus-22 in 35 minutes off the bench.  Brandon Ingram's 19 points in 39 minutes were likewise matched by RJ Barrett's 18 points in 36 minutes.

The inside battle featured Steven Austin for the Pelicans, who posted a double-double with ten points and tied with a game-high 14 rebounds.  Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson joined forces for 18 points and 22 rebounds; Noel accounted for twelve points, and Taj tied for game-high with 14 boards.

But whereas the Pelicans had four players score in double-digits, the Knicks featured five, namely Reggie Bullock, who sent the game into overtime.  He finished with 15 points in 37 minutes.

Sunday's victory extends the Knicks' season-high winning streak to six.  They improve to 18-10 at home and 31-27 (.534) overall.  With a firm hold on the sixth spot, they are just a half-game behind the Celtics and Hawks, tied for fourth in the conference standings with 14 games left to play.

N.Y. Knicks: Striving and Driving to Fifth Straight Win

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

FRIDAY

Knicks        117

Mavericks  109

FINAL

Thibodeau's Time Bandits Corral Dallas Mavericks

Don't look now, but the Knicks are winners of a season-high five in a row.  In fact, it's their longest such streak in seven years.  The Knicks have also climbed three games above .500 for the first time this season and finish the night sixth in the Eastern Conference, a mere half-game behind Boston and 1.5 games ahead of the Miami Heat.

Julius Randle matched his season-high with 44 points; he previously scored 44 points back in mid-February against the Atlanta Hawks.  This marks the eighth time this season he's scored 30 points or more, three of which have come consecutively over the last three games.  The Knicks own a 6-3 record through nine games in April, with Julius Randle averaging 26 points per game.  Against the Mavs, Julius attempted a game-high 29 shots, converting 16 times, including 6/11 from behind the arc and 6/9 from the stripe, along with ten rebounds and seven assists in 41 minutes.  It was his 32nd double-double in 56 games played this season.

RJ Barrett was the second of three Knicks starters to exceed 40 minutes on the floor.  Reggie Bullock was the third.  Barrett scored 24 points with eight rebounds in a game-high 46 minutes, while Bullock struggled to score eleven points in 41 minutes.

Derrick Rose was the main component off the bench, adding 15 points in 25 minutes.  Taj Gibson was the only other bench player to receive significant minutes.

Playing against their former team, Kristaps Porzingis led the Mavericks with 23 points in 38 minutes, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 16 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

The Knicks have 15 games remaining on their schedule.  They return home to host New Orleans on Sunday, which kicks off a six-game homestand.  After which, they go on the road for five games before wrapping up their final three regular-season games at Madison Square Garden.

East River Showdown: Flatbush Sweeps Season Series From Manhattan

From the desks: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH & KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

EAST RIVER SHOWDOWN 

Nets defeat Knicks; 3-0

I - BKN 116; NYK 109

II - BKN 117; NYK 112

III - BKN 114; NYK 112

No Kevin Durant, No Blake Griffin, No DeAndre Jordan, Essentially No James Harden, and No Room For Error.

Monday's Nets victory was a costly one.  Already playing on a barking hamstring, James Harden was out of the game after just four minutes on the floor.  

Yet, he somehow tied for second on the team with three assists ...

That's because Kyrie Irving took charge in a manner unlike Sunday's game against the Bulls when he finished with 15 assists and 24 points.  Irving led the team with seven assists but topped all players with 40 points in 37 minutes.  It's the fourth time this season he has scored forty or more, and it was slightly more than double Julius Randle's output, who finished with 19 points in a game-high 39 minutes.  Randle achieves the triple-double with a game-high 15 rebounds and 12 assists, albeit in a losing effort.

RJ Barrett led the Knicks with 22 points in 33 minutes, Reggie Bullock added 21 points in 31 minutes, and Derrick Rose scored 16 points in 25 minutes off the bench.

Nerlens Noel going up against LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Claxton was essentially a wash.  Noel scored six points with five rebounds, while Aldridge and Claxton joined together for eight points and twelve rebounds.  DeAndre Jordan has not played a minute since the acquisition of Aldridge.

Jeff Green's tenacity resulted in him leading the Nets with 13 attempts from the line and 4/8 inside the arc en route to 23 points in 36 minutes.  Joe Harris put up the third-most attempts behind Irving and Green while scoring 16 points in 34 minutes.  Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot played his most minutes since Mar. 24 at Utah.

Both teams scored equally fourteen points on fast breaks.  But whereas the Knicks outscored the Nets by 12 points from behind the arc, the Nets dominated the paint by a 58-40 margin.  Brooklyn was also plus-four in rebounds and plus-three in assists.

The Knicks led the Nets by ten at the half (and at one point led by 14 points) but failed to hold on.  Brooklyn outscored the Knicks by eleven points in the third.  Alec Burks tied the game at 112-112 with 26.1 seconds left in the fourth.  But Jeff Green converted two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to clinch it for Brooklyn.

Flatbush sweeps the season series three games to none.  The Knicks fall back one game under par.

Since losing at Detroit on Feb. 9, the Nets have posted a 21-4 record over their last 25 games.  Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden have only played seven games together with only 21 games left in the regular season.  This team needs to get healthy and just over a month to get it done.

N.Y. Knicks: Back to Par With Blowout Over Pistons

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

SATURDAY

Knicks 125

Piston  81

FINAL

The Bockers' Largest Margin of Victory in Twenty-Four Years

Take about handling teams you're supposed to beat ...

The Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak and, more importantly, get themselves back to .500 with an overwhelming 44 point victory over the Detroit Pistons.

They caused 15 turnovers, including 12 steals and eleven blocks.  In turn, the Knicks outscored Detroit 16-7 on fast breakpoints, posted a plus-eleven in assists, and shot 19/39 (48.7%) from behind the arc.  The Pistons, who had just three players score in double-digits, were led by Jerami Grant with only 16 points.

Julius Randle turned his game around, leading the floor with 29 points in 30 minutes, and secured a team-high eight rebounds.  Reggie Bullock was next in with 6/10 from behind the arc en route to a 22 point game in 28 minutes.  Elfrid Payton scored eleven points and distributed a game-high nine assists.

Off the bench, Obi Toppin was 3/8 from the field for eight points in an extended 16 minutes, and Taj Gibson was a perfect 5/5 from the field and 1/1 from the line for eleven points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.  Immanuel Quickley added twelve points in 18 minutes - his most minutes in his last twelve games.

Team Thibodeau maintains their seventh standing by a half-game over the Celtics and two full games over the ninth-place Pacers.

On Monday, the Knicks and Nets square off at Barclays Center.

N.Y. Knicks: Coach Thibodeau's Time Bandits

From the desk: KICKIN' CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

KNICKS STARTERS 

AVERAGING 33 MINUTES PER GAME

🏀      🕰      🏀

Coach Thibodeau Time Stamping Team Effort at the Door

Six games into the season, the Knicks perhaps have already won two more contests than many anticipated.  First and foremost was their bedazzling twenty-point victory over Milwaukee.  They promptly followed up with a nine-point victory at Cleveland, and then Saturday's defensively contested win at Indiana.  A defeat at the hands of Toronto makes them 3-1 in their last four games.

The Knicks, on average, have thus far allowed 104.7 points per game, ranking them fifth-best in the league.

Hello Coach Tom Thibodeau!

If you're a starter for the Knicks, Coach is taking away the minutes that make up a dull day in an old-fashioned way (... Pink Floyd).  Said another way, he makes you work hard, and it appears as if he has the full attention of his largely young and impressionable personnel.

I'll make opening night a stand-alone game, only because it was the first game, and no one really knew what to expect - not from Thibodeau, but from this roster.  However, six games in, we have a trend to speak of.  

During game one against Indiana, seven different players registered at least twenty minutes; the starters clocked in an average of 27.6 minutes.  After the first game, what's there to say..?

During game two versus PHILA, six different players played at least twenty minutes; the starters averaged 28.4 minutes.  However, whereas Elfrid Payton started, he only played eighteen minutes.  Carrying the load off the bench were Kevin Knox II with 29 minutes and Alec Burks with 31 minutes.

Coach Thibodeau switched up and started Reggie Bullock against Milwaukee but limited him to seventeen minutes.  Similarly, six different players partake in at least twenty minutes, with two coming off the bench; Knox registered 26 minutes and Burks 21 minutes.  The five starters this time average 31.2 minutes.

Thibodeau revved things up in their victory at Cleveland, playing his five starters an average of 38.4 minutes without a single bench player achieving twenty minutes.  Coach stuck with a tight eight-man rotation with Knox, Frank Ntilikina, and Nerlens Noel, receiving sixteen minutes each.

Coach then eased up on the gas pedal against Toronto.  Seven players got at least twenty minutes, but the starting five still averaged 32.2 minutes.

SATURDAY

KNICKS   106

PACERS   102

FINAL

Saturday in their return match against the Pacers, Coach stuck with a nine-man rotation.  Elfrid Payton started and scored 19 points with five assists in 34 effective minutes.  The starting five averaged 35 minutes, but center Mitchell Robinson just missed the mark with 29 minutes.  Otherwise, the four-man bench averaged 16 minutes.

Cycling back, I am omitting game one just because ...

Under Coach Thibodeau, Knicks' starters over the last five games average 33 minutes per game and play top tier defense.  They have now played Indiana twice.  Therefore, to date, four of the Knicks' five opponents last season all qualified for the playoffs, with the lone exception being Cleveland.

With another coach in place, this team is not playing .500 basketball.  Inclusive in Tom Thibodeau and Scott Perry's job descriptions are making the recent past (twenty years) a non-issue.  Thibodeau is already garnering results.  The onus now falls on general manager Scott Perry to procure for this coach some more complimentary talent by the March trade deadline.  Nothing crazy, just someone to help share the load.  That Thibodeau is a demanding dude.

• NEXT: @ Atlanta Hawks, Monday

N.Y. Knicks: Julius Randle Rocks a Triple-Double at Cleveland

From the desk: DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

DEUCES WILD

Knicks      95

Cavaliers  85

FINAL

KNICKERBOCKERS EVEN RECORD (2-2) WITH SECOND STRAIGHT WIN

Don't look now, but Coach Thibodeau has the Knickerbockers at .500 with a 2-2 record.  After a disjointed start to the season against the Pacers and Sixers, the Knicks stormed back with a highly spirited 130-110 victory over the Eastern Conference power Milwaukee Bucks.  On Tuesday night, the Knicks kept their guard up against a step down in competition with a tight 95-85 defensively intensive win over Cleveland.

Julius Randle continues his stellar start, leading the floor with a game-high 28 points while leading all players with 44 minutes.  He was 9/16 (56%) from the field, a perfect 4/4 from the arc, and 6/10 from the line.  Randle secured a team-high dozen rebounds and distributed a game-high eleven assists.  This comes on the heels of his game-high 29 point and 14 rebound effort against the Greek Freak and the Milwaukee Bucks.  Through four games he is averaging 24.7 points in 37.7 minutes. 

Reggie Bullock led the Knicks with five buckets from the arc and finished with seventeen points overall.  R.J. Barrett was a quiet 4/15 from the field and 4/4 from the line for 12 points.  Mitch Robinson fell one point short of a double-double with ten rebounds.

All five Knicks starters exceeded at least 32 minutes each.  Coach Thobideau went with an eight-man rotation, handing Kevin Knox II, Frank Ntilikina, and Nerlens Noel sixteen minutes each off the bench.  The three were collectively 5/11 from the field, 3/5 from the arc, and 2/3 from the line for fifteen points with eleven rebounds.

Collin Sexton led the Cavs with twenty points, and Andre Drummond went double-double with seventeen and a game-high seventeen rebounds.

• NEXT: on to Tampa, Florida, to play the relocated Toronto Raptors on New Year's Eve.