Tom Thibodeau doesn’t consider in favorites and underdogs.
The Knicks head coach believes each workforce is able to successful on any evening. Sure, even in opposition to his Knicks, who personal one of many league’s largest payrolls courtesy of one of many extra stacked beginning fives within the NBA. And sure, even the Nets, who personal one of many worst data in all of basketball because the Jap Convention’s twelfth seed.
Thibodeau believes you possibly can’t get to the NBA with out being an incredible participant, that the title on the again of the jersey oftentimes isn’t indicative of the preparation and strategy that goes into every recreation.
So it’s becoming his star-studded Knicks workforce discovered troublesome creating a lot separation from a Nets group totally embracing the tank at Barclays Middle this season.
Dealing with enterprise isn’t all the time going to be fairly. It actually wasn’t within the second leg of a back-to-back after a gritty nine-point victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
However with the Knicks dealing with one of many strongest remaining schedules within the NBA — and coming off of a stretch of six losses within the span of 9 video games — all wins depend evenly.
The Knicks added one other one to the win column to make it two in a row with a 99-95 victory over the Nets in Mikal Bridges’ first recreation again at Barclays Middle on Tuesday.
The Knicks constructed a lead as giant as 13 within the third quarter then went on a scoring drought within the ultimate interval because the Nets uncorked an enormous 15-4 run, holding the Knicks to only one discipline aim from the 10-minute mark within the fourth till Karl-Anthony Cities broke the seal with a hook shot with slightly below three minutes left in regulation.
After which it was the captain’s time to shine. When the sport is on the road, Brunson usually dusts off the cape.
The star Knicks guard went on a private 6-2 run to stabilize his workforce, then Josh Hart discovered OG Anunoby for a chopping dunk to make it a 97-92 recreation with underneath a minute left to play.
D’Angelo Russell responded with a pull-up three to make it a two-point recreation, however after Brooklyn acquired a cease on Brunson’s try at a floater, Cam Johnson missed a deep three that will have put the Nets up one with 12 seconds left on the clock.
Cities, who’s enjoying via a proper thumb sprain, completed with a team-high 25 factors, 16 rebounds and 6 assists on 11-of-19 capturing from the sector. After his 34-point efficiency in opposition to the Hawks on Monday, Brunson shot 7-of-18 from the sector for 17 factors however got here alive when his workforce wanted it most: when the sport was on the road.
Bridges completed with 10 factors on 3-of-12 capturing from the sector in opposition to his outdated workforce, and Anunoby scored 20 factors on 8-of-18 capturing from the sector to go along with robust protection on Johnson, who shot an abysmal 6-of-20 from the sector for 16 factors.
The Nets’ lead scorer averaged 19.5 factors on 50 p.c capturing from the sector and 42.6 p.c capturing from deep previous to his matchup in opposition to Anunoby on Tuesday.
The Knicks, after all, have issues to wash up. The schedule solely will get exponentially extra brutal from right here on out. They usually coughed up 4 of their first six dwelling video games to start out the New Yr. The house stand will proceed via February main into the 2025 NBA All-Star break, however so will the toughened schedule: The Sacramento Kings go to Madison Sq. Backyard Saturday, adopted by a date with Ja Morant and the Western Convention’s second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies subsequent Monday.
It’s the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets instantly after. Then the Knicks will see Boston, Indiana and Atlanta for a fourth time this season.
The Knicks gave sufficient to get the job finished on Tuesday, and on this enterprise, a win is a win, no matter the way you get there.
What the Knicks did in opposition to the Nets, nonetheless, received’t get the job finished in opposition to extra high quality competitors.
The Knicks are solely 1-5 in opposition to true NBA title contenders this season.
