On a series of three rank victories (Cleveland, Atlanta then Charlotte), the Knicks have regained their colors for a week, so much so that they are back in balance (13 wins for 13 losses) and, above all, in the Top 8 of the Eastern Conference, at a reasonable distance from the Top 4 (a match and a half late).
The reason for this collective improvement is very simple: the players of New York play hard and they have (finally) started defending, conceding only 81, 89 and then 102 points in their last three successes. They who collected more than 116 units per game until last week…
” That’s really why we win games », thought so Julius Randle tonight, very fit for two games: 34 points, 17 rebounds and 5 assists, then 33 points and 7 rebounds. “ We just play hard, really hard, we make up for other people’s mistakes and we don’t care if someone gets a basket [sur la tête] », supported Quentin Grimesintegrated into the five New Yorkers for three weeks.
The youth in power
Symbol of the rediscovered combativeness of the Knicks, who now take their foot together: this action of Miles McBride in the fourth quarter against the Hornets, who dived to the ground to recover the ball before serving RJ Barrett, who was able to score in stride and somehow validate the victory for the team.
” I love actions like this “, rejoiced afterwards Tom Thibodeau, quite simply a fan of the abnegation of his young player. ” When someone makes a big effort like this, it can only unite and inspire the whole team. If you can’t get excited about these kinds of actions, then you can’t get excited about anything. [Les gars] give of themselves, they fight admirably. »
For the time being, the strong choices of the New York coach are paying off, he who has decided to remove Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier and Cam Reddish from his rotation in one month, to better inject youth and new blood. to his group. With Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride therefore, but also Jericho Sims, in addition to the usual Immanuel Quickley.
” You can see they played aggressive throughout the game and they have a lot to do with it “, declared moreover RJ Barrett, the other nugget of the New York franchise. ” Every game the other team has a tough night in scoring and that helps a lot.. »
This will obviously require confirmation, against Sacramento, Chicago (twice) then Indiana by next week, but these Knicks with reduced rotation seem on the right track.
Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
Julius Randle | 25 | 33.2 | 46.4 | 33.7 | 79.2 | 2.1 | 6.7 | 8.8 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 3.2 | 21.6 |
Jalen Brunson | 25 | 32.0 | 47.0 | 33.3 | 87.6 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 6.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 20.5 |
Rj Barrett | 25 | 33.5 | 40.3 | 28.5 | 77.4 | 0.9 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 18.2 |
Immanuel Quickley | 25 | 22.9 | 40.9 | 31.2 | 84.7 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 10.0 |
Cam Reddish | 20 | 21.9 | 44.9 | 30.4 | 87.9 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 8.4 |
Obi Toppin | 25 | 17.1 | 42.1 | 35.1 | 82.4 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 7.7 |
Mitchell Robinson | 17 | 23.5 | 74.0 | 0.0 | 41.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 7.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 7.1 |
Evan Fournier | 13 | 20.0 | 34.4 | 33.3 | 81.8 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 6.9 |
Quentin Grimes | 15 | 21.8 | 48.2 | 33.3 | 85.7 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 6.8 |
Derrick Rose | 21 | 13.6 | 40.0 | 34.7 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 6.4 |
Isaiah Hartenstein | 25 | 20.8 | 53.2 | 21.1 | 84.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 6.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 6.3 |
jericho sims | 17 | 13.0 | 77.3 | 0.0 | 80.0 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 4.5 |
Svi Mykhailiuk | 8 | 3.3 | 62.5 | 83.3 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
Miles Mcbride | 13 | 8.4 | 31.3 | 11.8 | 33.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 1.8 |
Ryan Arcidiacono | 6 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Trevor Keels | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |