RJ Barrett

Randle’s summer comes to the fore after his 44 lifts Knicks to 5th straight win

by
julius randle, knicks

Returning to the place where the seed of his transformational season was planted, Julius Randle’s game sprouted like a tall bamboo.

His seventh season is turning out to be his best one yet, but it also had its shares of lows, including a 25-percent shooting nightmare in a loss to his hometown team Dallas at the beginning of the month.

Randle bent but didn’t break. Just like bamboo.

On Friday night, Randle’s most important summer came to the fore as he scored a season-high-tying 44 points to carry the New York Knicks to a 117-109 win over the Mavericks.

“He prepared himself for this. You can’t overlook that,” Tom Thibodeau said of Randle’s performance. “I knew when I saw him the first time in the summer—the type of shape that he was in. I’ve had a number of players throughout my career that prepared themselves extremely well in the offseason so they can handle the workload they’re gonna have.”

After a disappointing first season with the Knicks, Randle went home to Dallas last summer, determined to erase that stigma, and paced himself to become a true alpha.

He trained thrice a day. Like he never did before.

The result was a breakthrough All-Star season leading a surging Knicks team that keeps on surprising.

The Friday night shocker was the fifth straight victory for the Knicks that represented their longest winning streak since an eight-game run in 2014. More importantly, the win pushed them three games above .500 (30-27) and just half-game from climbing up to fourth seed in the East currently held by both Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks (30-26).

Randle was determined from the start, hitting his first four shots, including going 3-for-3 from the 3-point line.

He outplayed Luka Doncic, a generational talent and the new face of his hometown team, and Kristaps Porzingis, the former Knicks’ franchise player reduced to just a role-playing skilled big man.

Through three quarters, Randle already had 35, and the Knicks led by four, 83-79.

“I was locked in and focused,” said Randle, who has scored at least 30 points in his last three games. “I always love playing at home in front of my friends, in front of my family. I never take those moments for granted.”

Randle has now scored at least 20 points in his last six games against his hometown team.

But it wasn’t just an all-Randle show for the Knicks.

RJ Barrett took over at the start of the fourth quarter. After a pair of duds, Barrett returned to form, scoring 13 of his 24 points in that pivotal quarter.

With Randle, Doncic and Porzingis all taking a breather, Barrett took advantage and scored eight straight points as the Knicks built a nine-point lead, 91-82.

Frank Ntilikina, who played spot-up minutes with Alec Burks out due to the health and safety protocols, hit a three-pointer that extended the Knicks lead to a dozen, 94-82.

“We were trying to match up, taking Julius out when they took out Doncic. We felt we needed another scorer out there. That group got on a run, RJ got on a run. We went with it. I thought Frank gave us good minutes. We needed another defender out there, and I thought that was important,” Thibodeau explained.

Derrick Rose also played a significant role leading the Knicks bench with 15 points and five assists.

The Mavericks came charging back and cut the lead into half, 101-95, on a Doncic layup with 4:27 left.

Then Randle finished what he started, scoring his last nine points the rest of the way.

Randle went 16-for-29 from the floor in 41 minutes and added 10 rebounds and seven assists to become the first Knicks player since Bernard King in 1985 to have at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a single game.

Randle also became the first Knicks player since Carmelo Anthony in 2013-14 to have multiple 40-point games in a single season.

Porzingis led the Mavericks with 23 points and 12 rebounds but was only 8-for-20 from the field. Nerlens Noel returned from a one-game absence due to a sore ankle and did a good job defensively against Porzingis.

Noel pulled down 10 rebounds and swatted away three blocks, and scored six points for good measure.

The Knicks defense also reduced Doncic to a playmaker instead of his usual go-to-scorer role. He tied his career-high 19 assists but bled for 22 points on 16 shots.

Randle was the brightest star in Dallas this Friday night.

He was a man on a mission, leading the hottest team in the NBA. Before this 44-point explosion, he haunted his former teams—LA Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans—with 34 and 32 points, respectively.

The Knicks will meet the Pelicans again on Sunday at The Garden.

For sure, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans will try to break Randle.

They could bend him but cannot break him. And every time he bends, it’s just a matter of time before he springs back like bamboo.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

FOCO set to release limited edition Knicks bobbleheads

by

The New York Knicks are an exciting team once again, thanks largely to the triumvirate of first-time All-Star Julius Randle, rising sophomore RJ Barrett and rookie sensation Immanuel Quickley.

Their efforts, along with Tom Thibodeau’s culture or accountability, have changed the moribund franchise’s narrative.

FOCO, the leading manufacturer of sports and entertainment merchandise, are immortalizing the Knicks’ trio with a limited edition of their bobbleheads.

The officially licensed 8-inch bobbleheads feature an arena jumbotron backdrop with a bold Knicks logo display.

Each player stands on a Madison Square Garden-inspired base with their names emblazoned on it, so everyone knows who are the faces of the Knicks franchise.

FOCO said they are only releasing 144 bobbleheads of each player. They added that each bobblehead is individually numbered out of 144.

Handcrafted and handpainted, FOCO tried their best to get the correct details, including the signature braids of Randle and Quickley and Barrett’s clean-cut fro.

They are priced at $50 each and are now available for pre-order at FOCO’s official website.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Have the New York Knicks finally buried their biggest weakness?

by
new york knicks, rj barrett

It was only a few days ago when the New York Knicks simply couldn’t win a close game for the life of them, representing their biggest weakness. A failure to hit clutch shots and hold on down the stretch was piling “Ls” in the loss column for New York, but it seems as if they might’ve put their struggles behind them.

Despite losing back-to-back games against the Nets and Celtics by a combined four points, the Knicks have bounced back to defeat the Grizzlies by four and Toronto Raptors by six in consecutive victories. They have clawed their way back to .500 on the season, just one game behind Boston, who is on a three-game win streak.

Where do the Knicks sit in the standings?

Currently, the Knicks hold the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, just one game above the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks have a tough stretch ahead of them, as they will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday evening and then travel to New Orleans and Dallas. The Lakers, who are currently third in the Pacific Division, are coming off a strong win over the Nets.

Luckily for New York, the Lakers won’t have LeBron James or Anthony Davis, which will give them a better chance at walking away with a “W.” In fact, the Lakers have only won five of their last 12 games playing inconsistent basketball as of late.

However, let’s reflect on the Knicks’ most recent win over Toronto, where they blew an 18 point lead in the second half, allowing Toronto to put together a 25 point turnaround, which gave them a four-point advantage at one point in the 4th quarter. If not for Alec Burks hitting a few clutch shots and RJ Barrett coming through with a three-pointer in the final minutes, the Knicks might’ve lost a disappointing game, one which they led by a fair margin throughout.

All-Star Julius Randle posted 26 points, but it took him until late in the fourth quarter to get his first points of the second half, shooting 1-of-8 from downtown. He did hit 11-of-11 free throws, which ended up being the difference.

It was nice to see the Knicks tough out a difficult game where Toronto put their best foot forward in the final moments. Suffocating defense and timely hooping is what the Knicks have showcased the past few games, and hopefully, they can pick up a third consecutive went over the Lakers on Monday.

Back to .500: RJ Barrett’s clutch 3 lifts Knicks past Raptors

by
new york knicks, rj barrett

The stinker he put up on New Year’s eve in Tampa, Florida, against his home team Toronto Raptors, wasn’t lost on RJ Barrett.

The 20-year old Canadian wing went 0-for-8 from deep in that 100-83 New York Knicks‘ loss. It was the tail end of a horrendous four-game stretch where he missed 21 straight three-point attempts.

On Sunday night, Barrett got his redemption and, more importantly, a 102-96 victory at The Garden that pushed the Knicks back to .500.

In what is becoming a signature Barrett clutch basket, the second-year forward drilled a catch-and-shoot three off a Julius Randle feed with 34.9 seconds left.

The dagger three, his third for the night, gave the Knicks’ a four-point cushion to fend off the Raptors’ ferocious fightback in the second half.

“I think what I’ve learned over the course of my NBA career is that it is a long game. Anything can happen,” Barrett said. “Everybody goes on a run. The game goes up and down. All that matters is the way you had it in the end when the final buzzer sounds.”

The Knicks blew an 18-point lead and trailed the Raptors by four in the fourth quarter.

Toronto went on a big run after a 14-minute rain delay due to a leak from the Madison Square Garden ceiling in the third quarter. The momentum shifted to the Raptors’ side when the game resumed with 3:58 left in the quarter. A Toronto 10-2 run closed the gap after three quarters, 78-76.

Japanese forward Yuta Watanabe’s drive gave the Raptors their first lead of the game just two minutes into the final quarter, 81-80. Rodney Hood extended Toronto’s lead to four, 87-83, but the Knicks refused to wilt under pressure.

New York responded with a 9-0 run to grab a 92-87 lead behind Barrett, Randle, and Alec Burks.

Kyle Lowry kept the Raptors within one, 95-94, that set up Barrett’s heroics.

The dagger three capped off another efficient night for Barrett, who finished with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 3-for-6 from deep.

Randle, who brought back his braids, sealed the outcome with four free throws after the Barrett triple extended the Knicks’ lead to four, 98-94.

The All-Star forward was perfect from the line, going 11-for-11, to pace the Knicks with 26 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

“I like that we had the mental toughness to sort of work our way through it and pull it out in the end,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. “But I think we’re capable of playing better than what we did today.”

The Knicks will have that opportunity to prove Thibodeau right when they play the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night, the second game of a back-to-back homestand.

The Lakers, who are missing their top guns, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, relied on Andre Drummond’s double-double to dominate the Brooklyn Nets last Saturday night.

Nerlens Noel, who had a big game against the Raptors, will have his hands full against Drummond, who was initially a Knicks target in the buyout market.

Noel seems up to the task after he came up big for the Knicks, grabbing a season-high 13 rebounds to go along with nine points and four shot blocks. He had five offensive rebounds that equaled the entire Raptors team’s output.

The Knicks’ 11-5 advantage in the offensive rebounding led to 17 second-chance points. The Raptors only had six.

New York’s vaunted defense held Toronto to just 39.8 percent shooting, including just 9-of-35 from the three-point line, 24 hours after the Raptors exploded for 135 points against Cleveland on 17-of-32 three-point shooting.

The Knicks (27-27) won for the second time in a row after a rough stretch that saw them losing five of their previous six games. It was also their first win against the Raptors since 2017. The timing couldn’t have come at a better time as the win gave the Knicks, currently eighth in the East, a six-game buffer over the No. 11 Raptors (21-33).

The seventh to 10th teams will battle for the last two playoff spots in each conference in a play-in tournament.

With 18 games left in their schedule, the Knicks are just one game outside the top six in the bunched-up East.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks News: Thibs raves about Immanuel Quickley, who shows off his veteran mentality

by
immanuel quickley, rj barrett, new york knicks

The New York Knicks finally won a close game, overcoming the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday evening 133-129. Despite the Grizzlies’ entire starting unit posting double-digit points, the Knicks offense finally turned on the afterburners, with Immanuel Quickley offering 20 points over 31 minutes. Quickley shot 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from downtown, helping secure the win with a few clutch shots toward the end. But don’t discount the influence of second-year player RJ Barrett and his 20 points, displaying another strong shooting performance in what seems to be one of the most amazing developmental leaps I’ve seen in quite a while.

Performances like this draw positive reviews from fans and coaches, as Tom Thibodeau was ecstatic about how Quickley performed in the win, stating his desire to let him keep shooting and building confidence.

“I never mind him taking shots,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “That’s his strength. I know over the course of the season, if he is taking those shots, he is going to make most of them.”

Quickley speaks as if he is a veteran, with an understanding of the game and how opponents change their style to give themselves a competitive advantage. Quickley noticed what they were trying to do on offense, so he created a perfect blend of floaters and three-point shots to help put Memphis to bed.

“The second time that we play a team I feel like they definitely make adjustments, especially on my floater and different things like that — pick and roll play,” Quickley said before the game. “So I’m just trying to get better each and every day not only on the floor but with film, trying to adjust my game to become a smarter student of the game.”

Even veteran All-Star Julius Randle raved about Quickley after the win, thanking him and RJ Barrett for picking up the slack as he struggled for most of the game. Veteran point guard Derrick Rose also had a solid outing, picking up 19 points over 26 minutes.

“Most of the game I’m struggling. RJ is struggling,” Randle said. “For the first half, Derrick kept us in the game with his scoring and setting the pace. Down the stretch, RJ made huge plays, Quick made huge plays, Alec made huge plays.”

Randle played a big part in his own way, picking up a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. Spreading the ball around the floor and creating open shots is what he does best, and his influence undoubtedly offered open looks for Quickley and Barrett down the stretch.

There were concerns that Quickley was hitting the rookie wall, as he’s been struggling the past few weeks, and his offensive influence had taken a bit of a nosedive. However, this breakout performance was not only necessary but well-timed as the Knicks had fallen in several games by close margin’s. Hopefully, this victory will push them over the edge and give them a bit of confidence moving forward.

“For the rookie wall, I don’t really feel it,” Quickley said. “I’m just going to continue to do whatever’s got me here. There’s going to be ups and downs throughout a season, ups and downs throughout a game. But you just want to continue to do what’s got you to the place you’ve been. I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself.”

Knicks 1-2 punch KOs stunned Grizzlies in wild OT comeback

by
new york knicks, rj barrett

The Memphis Grizzlies contained the New York Knicks’ 1-2 punch for the first three quarters.

But Julius Randle and RJ Barrett came through with the knockout blows in the end as the Knicks pulled off a stunning comeback win, 133-129, in overtime on Friday night at The Garden.

Barrett scored a combined 15 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

He hit three pressure-packed free throws in the final 37 seconds and his barrelling layup against Ja Morant with 8.8 seconds left in regulation forced the overtime. Then with 1:15 remaining in the extra session and the game tied at 124, he knocked down the go-ahead three-pointer off a Randle kick-out pass.

“That’s winning basketball. You force the defense to collapse and hit the open man,” Tom Thibodeau said of the game’s biggest play that has become more frequent since the All-Star break.

Barrett’s clutch baskets came more than a week since Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards dissed him for missing a potential game-winner in Minnesota.

Barrett said in response that he couldn’t wait for the next chance to take another last-second shot.

He made sure not to blow it tonight.

“It always comes back around,” Barrett said. “We’ve been playing our butt off the past couple of games. It’s been close games, and today we were able to get this one. It just feels good to know we’re doing the right thing, keep working hard and keep working together, and it will pay off.”

Randle, who didn’t score his first field goal until the 3:16 mark in the third quarter, finished the game strong.

After going 1-for-7 through the first three quarters, Randle made three of his last five shots. He collected 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season.

It was a much-needed win for the Knicks after losing five of their last six games, with three of those losses decided by two points or less.

For three-fourths of the way, it appeared the Knicks wouldn’t break the slump as they stared at a 13-point deficit with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter.

“We needed it bad. This is the way to break out of that little slump or whatever you want to call it,” Randle said. “Guys stepped up. This is how we had to get out of it.”

Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Immanuel Quickley combined for 58 points off the bench as they kept the Knicks in the game when their 1-2 punch was struggling.

New York drew 72 points from its bench while Memphis could only cough up 35.

“The bench came in and gave us a big lift,” Thibodeau said. “Memphis has been playing well in their last 10 games, and we had to fight the whole game just to where we got the position to win. That’s what I like about the team. I thought our fight was terrific, the perseverance, and in the end, we made things go our way.”

It was a one-sided slugfest at the start, with the Grizzlies leading by as many as 15. The Knicks had to scrap and claw their way back behind their bench that played more minutes than the starters save for Randle and Barrett.

Rose did most of the damage in the first half, scoring 13 of his 19 points in his most productive performance since the trade.

Quickley crushed the rookie wall with 20 points and four triples. He’s been on a slump, shooting just 31 percent in his previous seven games. He sank 7-of-12 tonight.

Burks added 19 points, nine in the overtime.

After losing the last two games on the offensive glass, the Knicks were locked in on crashing the boards.

The Grizzlies came into the game as the second-best offensive rebounding team in the league. And the Knicks did a good job keeping them away from the glass.

New York won the battle of the boards, 48-43, and had more offensive rebounds, 11-10. The Knicks ended up with two more second-chance points than the Grizzlies.

Taj Gibson was the Knicks’ unsung hero. The 35-year old veteran center played an almost no-relief job in the fourth quarter and kept Jonas Valanciunas from the glass. Valanciunas finished with 14 rebounds but only had one in the entire fourth quarter.

Gibson chipped in six points and eight boards, five from the offensive glass, before fouling out.

The Knicks improved to 26-27 overall and 15-10 at home, with eight of their next 10 games at The Garden.

On the other hand, the Grizzlies saw their four-game winning streak came to an end despite all their starters scoring in double figures led by Morant’s 26 points.

The Knicks will host the shorthanded Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

‘It’s like breakfast!’ RJ Barrett credits teammates for improved shooting

by
new york knicks, rj barrett

New York Knicks‘ second-year wing RJ Barrett’s chip on his shoulder is getting bigger by the day.

All-Rookie Team snub.

ESPN’s Best 25 under 25 snub.

Anthony Edwards’ mockery of his missed game-winning shot.

But each time Barrett is getting snubbed and mocked, he rises.

The 20-year old Barrett has blossomed to become the New York Knicks’ No. 2 option behind All-Star Julius Randle from a questionable third overall selection after his uneven rookie season.

“My game speaks for itself,” Barrett said Friday ahead of his matchup with last year’s Rookie of the Year Ja Morant. “You know you can go and look at my numbers and our team’s success. It doesn’t really matter as long as I keep getting better as a player every day. I’ll be happy.”

For the first time in the last seven years, the Knicks are playing meaningful games this late in the season, and a big part of that is because of Barrett’s much-improved play.

His numbers have all gone up.

Entering Friday’s game, he’s averaging 17.5 points on 45/38/74 shooting splits with 5.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists against only two turnovers in 34 minutes.

Last season, he averaged 14.3 points on 40/32/61 shooting splits with 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists against 2.2 turnovers in 30.4 minutes.

His questionable jump shot has become a vaunted weapon in his arsenal.

“During the summer, I made little tweaks and adjustments, but I’m just getting reps,” Barrett said.

But he was quick to add: “All credit to my teammates. You see, Julius gets in there. Sometimes he’s halfway into a shot and kicks it out, and I get wide-open shots, wide-open looks. I mean, when you get wide-open looks like that from your teammates, it’s kind of like just breakfast.”

Since the All-Star break, Barrett is averaging 20 points on 47/44/75 shooting splits.

According to NBA.com tracking data, his three-point attempts increased from 3.3 to 4.3 per game, with two of those attempts coming from a Randle pass. During the same stretch, Barrett has been the top recipient of Randle’s playmaking with 19.5 percent frequency resulting in 11.9 passes and 2.3 assists per game.

In contrast, Barrett only ranked second (16.5 percent) to Elfrid Payton (25.8 percent) among recipients of Randle’s passes during the first half of the season.

The improving chemistry between the Knicks’ top two guys has pushed Barrett to take another leap. Barrett is making 53.3 percent of his three-point attempts coming directly from Randle since the All-Star break.

In the Knicks’ most recent twin losses in Brooklyn and Boston, Barrett has only missed two of his 12 three-point attempts.

“I don’t know if I’m surprised because I see the time he’s put into it,’’ coach Tom Thibodeau said. “And when we’ve been home, he usually comes in every night to shoot and get extra shooting in. He’s really worked hard improving the shot, and I think he’s gotten real comfortable behind the line. And I also think his teammates are also doing a good job looking for him. We’ve had good rim reads and a lot of spray-outs, so they’re good-rhythm 3s.”

His game-tying three-pointer with 54.6 seconds left in their loss to the Celtics came off a Randle kick-out pass underneath the basket.

“He’s coming into his own and knowing who he is as a player,” Randle said. “Down the stretch, he’s getting to his spots. He’s playing well. Very comfortable and continuing to grow as a player.”

It was a catch-and-shoot, wide-open shot—the kind of shot Thibodeau wanted his team to take.

This season, Barrett has been shooting 38.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3’s, a significant uptick from 33.8 percent last season, per NBA.com. Since the All-Star break, he’s hitting it with much better accuracy at 43.3 percent on four attempts per game.

For Thibodeau, it’s not only about the volume of outside shots. It’s the quality.

“We just don’t want to take any three. We want to make sure that they’re good threes, where it allows us also to get back and get our defense set,” Thibodeau said. “So there’s a combination of the two things, but I’m very pleased with his overall progress, and I think he’ll continue to grow.”

That clutch 3 in Boston was Barrett’s redemption after his unforced error over the previous play that led to a Jaylen Brown fastbreak layup.

“After I had that turnover in the game against Boston, during timeout I went to the bench, and the whole team, everybody picked me up,” Barrett said. “I have to get it back. And then, you know, the next play, I made the shot and tied the game. So it’s great to have vets like that around.”

Thibodeau’s player development revolves around accountability. He doesn’t dole out playing time like it’s a gift.

Earned, not given.

It’s the opposite of the rebuilding that some teams and fans prefer, much like in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder management decided to shut down Al Horford and shipped away their other veterans to develop their rookies with a long leash on the floor but without veteran guidance.

Rookies Theo Maledon and Aleksej Pokusevski, the undrafted sophomore big man Moses Brown and the Thunder young core have been putting insane numbers. But have also been routinely losing by a wide margin.

Barrett prefers the Knicks’ current rebuilding style, where they have a shot at winning each game, learning from pressure-packed situations.

Thibodeau and the Knicks front office have surrounded their young core with veterans who they can lean on and learn from.

“Most definitely,” Barrett said when asked if he’s benefiting from playing and sharing the floor with veterans. “They know a lot. The coaching staff knows a lot. So you know I’m kind of like a sponge every day. I’m going in and getting the chance to grow and make mistakes and keep learning. So it’s great to have vets. They always pick you up.”

Barrett made it known he wasn’t happy with the snubs. He laughed off Edwards’ comments.

So let the snubs and mocks keep on coming because Barrett likes to turn those chips into fuel. Like the wide-open looks. Like it’s breakfast.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

New York Knicks: 3 keys to beating the Grizzlies on Friday

by
new york knicks, julius randle

Coming off of a disappointing loss to the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks need a victory more than ever. Having lost five of their last six games and the last two coming by just two measly points, a competitive match against the Memphis Grizzlies will occur on Friday evening.

With the Knicks now two games below .500, ESPN has the grizzlies as 57.9% favorites over the Knicks, who currently ranked fourth in the Atlantic division. Overall, they claim the eighth seed, with just one game over the Indiana Pacers, who are also in the middle of a tough stretch.

Memphis, on the other hand, has won five of their last six games, scoring no less than 116 points in the last four. A combination of Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, and Jonas Valanciunas have dominated.

Three keys for the Knicks to beat the Grizzlies:

1.) Julius Randle must be efficient throughout the game

It seems as if Julius Randle’s performance is directly correlated to the Knicks winning games, and that makes sense considering he is their only All-Star. When Randle is consistent throughout a contest, New York oftentimes walks away with a victory.

However, Randle has been dealing with a nagging injury that is undisclosed. He struggled shooting in the loss to Boston but awakened in the fourth quarter when it was too late. The primary issue the Knicks deal with on a gamely basis is that they play hard the entire game while opponents coast and turn it on in the fourth quarter to steal the win. If Julius can remain consistent shooting against Memphis, it will increase their chances of victory tenfold.

2.) Don’t let Ja Morant get hot

One of the hottest young players in the NBA is Morant, who is currently averaging 18.8 points and 7.4 assists per game. His development as a point guard has been enjoyable to watch, and the Knicks must find a way to limit his influence on the game. As arguably the best defense in basketball, the Knicks are currently allowing a league-best 104.1 points per game.

With a day of rest on Thursday, they should be in good shape regarding their energy levels, and they will need most of it to stop Morant from taking over.

3.) Play Knick defense

As stated above, the Knicks live and die by their offense, but their defense has been nothing short of incredible this season. As the best defensive unit in basketball, they don’t have that secondary elite player to help them on the offensive side of things. That has been their primary struggle, but second-year player RJ Barrett has made significant leaps in his scoring efficiency, finishing with 29 against Boston. If he can continue growing and picking up momentum, the Knicks will pull out a few of these close games, but they need it sooner rather than later.

Knicks’ RJ Barrett has taken insane jump in important category

by
new york knicks, rj barrett

While the New York Knicks fell to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday evening by just two points, but second-year player RJ Barrett had another stellar performance. Barrett finished with 29 points, connecting on 10-of-14 shots from the field, and went 6-of-6 from downtown.

Barrett has taken a significant developmental leap this year, averaging 17.5 points per game over 52 contests, compared to 14.3 in his rookie season last year. His field goal percentage has risen from .402 to.450, and the three-point percentage skyrocketed. He currently sits at .380 on the season, finishing 2019-20 at .320.

His increasing efficiency from downtown has been a major turning point for the 20-year-old guard. His defense is already considered above average, and pairing it with quality offense will make him a star in the future. I would argue he’s well on his way to being considered one of the better players in the NBA, and at his age, next season could see him finally cement himself as a premium asset.

“I don’t know if I’m surprised because I see the time he’s put into it,’’ coach Tom Thibodeau said regarding his three-point production. “And when we’ve been home, he usually comes in every night to shoot and get extra shooting in. He’s really worked hard improving the shot and I think he’s gotten real comfortable behind the line. And I also think his teammates are also doing a good job looking for him. We’ve had good rim reads and a lot of spray-outs, so they’re good-rhythm 3s.”

The Knicks have a young player defining himself as a star:

Star players have a few defining qualities, and work ethic is one of them. Barrett is putting everything he has into the game of basketball, and it is clearly paying off on the court. For example, in a pivotal moment against Boston, he turned the ball over, dribbling it out of bounds. Just moments after, he returned the favor by draining a three-point shot to make up for his mistake. The resiliency and unwavering confidence are what stood out in that specific scenario, showing not only physical growth but mental.

“I just work at it,’’ Barrett said. “Going to the gym at night, the more you put into the game, the more you get out.”

Knicks endgame woes continue in Boston

by
knicks

The magic of the New York Knicks‘ promising start to the season is beginning to fade.

The Knicks are on a free-fall after squandering another lead and coming up short once again at crunchtime.

Marcus Smart hit the dagger—a wide-open three—with 36.4 seconds left as the Celtics came from behind and extended the Knicks’ endgame woes, 101-99, on Wednesday night at the TD Garden in Boston.

It was the Knicks’ eighth loss in 10 games decided by three points or less this season. Five of their last seven losses came down to a single possession.

New York led by seven, 80-73, with under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. But the Celtics rallied behind Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum.

After Smart’s go-ahead three-pointer, Alec Burks missed a three on the other end and got his shot blocked in the final 10 seconds that sealed the Knicks’ fate.

Smart poured in 14 of his 17 points and issued three of his nine assists in the final quarter, while Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum had seven points apiece.

Brown paced the Celtics with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Tatum added 27 and 10.

The Boston trio was too much for the Knicks, who have now lost five of their last six games to fall to eighth place in the East.

The Knicks drew a big game from RJ Barrett, who went a perfect six-for-six from beyond the arc to lead them with 29 points. But Julius Randle struggled again in the fourth despite a complete stats line of 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block.

After a scintillating third quarter where he exploded for 13 points and gave the Knicks a 73-70 lead, Randle disappeared in the final 12 minutes. Either his recent thigh injury is bothering him, or the big minutes are starting to wear him down. He remains defiant, saying he’s not bothered by anything every time the topic comes up.

But his recent struggles suggest otherwise as he came up with just two points in the fourth quarter on four shots.

Randle shot 9-for-23 overall. In four games this month, he’s just shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 30 from deep.

Rebounding also continued to be an issue for the Knicks as the Celtics crushed them, 53-39, and 16-5 on the offensive glass.

The tight game saw Boston scoring 20 second-chance points. It was the fourth time in the Knicks’ last five losses that they were beaten in the offensive rebounding.

“We felt one of the keys is rebounding. Obviously, that hurts us,” Tom Thibodeau offered his thoughts after another tough loss. “We had been a good rebounding team the whole year. We need to get back to it.”

It gets tougher for the Knicks to rebound from this tough stretch as the streaking Memphis Grizzlies, winners of their last four games, visit them in New York on Friday.

On the same night the Knicks lost to the Celtics, the Grizzlies wallopped the Atlanta Hawks, 131-113, with all their starters in double figures.

The Knicks’ starters all yielded negative net ratings in their loss in Boston.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo