Whenever you minimize off the top of the snake, all the things modifications.
The Knicks, nonetheless stinging from Cam Thomas’ 43-point explosion in Friday’s slim victory over their cross-bridge rival Nets, made certain to not let historical past repeat itself on Sunday, when the Nets returned for a second recreation in opposition to the identical staff simply 48 hours later.
Forward of tipoff, head coach Tom Thibdoeau stated it was good to see the identical staff twice in a row.
“You’re probably seeing that a little bit more now than you have in the past,” he stated. “I like that; it minimizes the travel; I think quality of play in those games is high. It’s similar to playoffs in the sense that you’re playing the same team again. I think any time that happens, it’s good preparation. You see it all the time. I think the urgency in those games, being familiar with each other. The intensity seems to be very high”
This time, New York took the ground with a transparent mission: disrupt Thomas early, restrict his affect, and safe a extra decisive win.
The adjustment paid off. As an alternative of assigning Mikal Bridges to protect Thomas, as they did on Friday, Tom Thibodeau switched defensive stopper OG Anunoby onto Brooklyn’s star scorer. The outcome was palpable: Thomas, who had torched the Knicks for 17 first-quarter factors and 5 made threes in Recreation 1, by no means discovered his rhythm.
Anunoby smothered Thomas from the opening tip, holding him to simply 13 factors within the first half and 16 for the sport on 4-of-11 capturing. Thomas managed only one three-pointer on 4 makes an attempt, a stark distinction to his easy scoring show simply two nights prior. The Knicks’ defensive technique suffocated Brooklyn’s offense and the Nets by no means mounted a severe problem in a wire-to-wire 114-104 Knicks victory at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Karl-Anthony Cities’ return from a knee contusion additionally performed an important position within the win.
With out Cities on Friday, the Knicks relied on Jericho Sims and rookie Ariel Hukporti to anchor the middle place, however his presence on Sunday was a reminder of what the Knicks seem like on each ends of the ground when their All-Star huge man is on the ground.. Cities dominated within the paint and showcased his versatility, ending with 26 factors, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. His physicality on the rim and skill to create for teammates set the tone for New York’s success on each ends of the ground.
Whereas the Knicks efficiently neutralized Brooklyn’s lead guard, one other troubling development endured: defending the three-point line.
The Nets linked on 17 of their 41 three-point makes an attempt, capturing 41.5% from deep. Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith every went 4-of-7 from downtown, Dennis Schroder and Noah Clowney added two triples apiece, and second-year ahead Jalen Wilson chipped in three treys for 15 factors off the bench.
Anunoby, who excelled on each ends, completed with 24 factors and eight rebounds. Bridges, dealing with his former staff for the second straight recreation, added 21 factors on 9-of-18 capturing. In the meantime, the Nets’ defensive concentrate on Jalen Brunson paid dividends, because the Knicks captain struggled to search out his shot. Brunson scored simply 12 factors on 3-of-14 capturing however offset his offensive woes with 10 assists.
Miles McBride missed his second consecutive recreation, the primary on account of an sickness and Sunday’s on account of a knee problem, however Cam Payne stepped up and hit three huge 3s for 9 factors off the bench.
The back-to-back victories push the Knicks above .500 at 7-6 as they put together for the second leg of a back-to-back in opposition to the struggling Washington Wizards (2-10) on Monday.
Regardless of a gradual begin to the season, the Knicks face a good schedule within the coming weeks. Their five-game, 10-day highway journey options matchups in opposition to shorthanded Phoenix, rebuilding Utah, underperforming Denver, powerhouse Dallas and fast-paced Charlotte.
