It is likely to be unfair to totally choose a Knicks crew lacking a starter (OG Anunoby – foot) and a key rotation piece (Mitchell Robinson – ankle), however Wednesday’s 149-148 time beyond regulation victory over the Play-In-bound Atlanta Hawks solely added gas to these questioning whether or not the Knicks are official title contenders.
If New York needs to determine itself alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics as a real risk to emerge from the Jap Convention, they should be higher—accidents or not.
And for stretches on Wednesday, they regarded the half.
Contemporary off a 13-point win over the Pacers on Tuesday, the Knicks got here out robust in Atlanta, constructing an 18-point lead behind their two All-Stars, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Cities.
Then, they let the Hawks chip away, run after run, till the sport got here right down to the wire within the closing minutes of regulation.
That’s when Jalen Brunson does what he does finest.
Brunson buried a contested three to place the Knicks up 4 with 1:33 left within the fourth, then answered a pair of Trae Younger free throws with a floater to maintain Atlanta at bay.
He completed with 36 factors and 7 assists on 11-of-16 capturing, however simply missed his probability at a signature second when his step-back buzzer-beater over Hawks defensive irritant Dyson Daniels clanked off the suitable iron, sending the sport to time beyond regulation.
Irrespective of — Brunson made up for it in OT. With 11 seconds left, he pulled up for a dagger jumper to place the Knicks forward for good.
The sport ended with Atlanta lacking a wide-open nook three on the buzzer, however for Brunson, it got here right down to easy execution.
“Stops, a couple of timely baskets,” he stated in his walk-off interview. “I’m glad we found a way to win.”
KAT’S OUT THE BAG
Karl-Anthony Cities’ thumb damage? It would already be a factor of the previous.
And if it isn’t, he’s doing a rattling good job hiding it.
The self-proclaimed finest capturing large man in NBA historical past delivered one other masterclass, following up his 40-point explosion towards Indiana with 42 factors on 13-of-24 capturing within the second leg of the back-to-back towards Atlanta.
Cities additionally set a Knicks profession excessive with seven made threes on 9 makes an attempt, serving to New York safe its ninth win within the final 11 video games.
The info suggests his capturing hunch post-injury is firmly behind him. After struggling from deep (5-of-25) within the seven video games following his three-game absence with a sprained thumb, Cities has since discovered his rhythm — pulling down 7-of-13 from deep within the three video games main as much as Wednesday’s outburst.
If that is the model of Cities the Knicks are getting down the stretch? That’s an issue for the remainder of the league.
KNICKS’ DEFENSE STRUGGLES AGAINST TRAE YOUNG, BENCH SCORERS
Right here’s a harsh actuality test: The 297 mixed factors between the Knicks and Hawks had been essentially the most scored in any NBA recreation this season.
That’s not factor.
The Knicks struggled all night time to comprise Trae Younger, who placed on a clinic at Madison Sq. Backyard, orchestrating the Hawks’ offense with a sequence of on-ball screens that freed him to get downhill and end on the rim, pull up for deep threes or thread passes to open shooters or rolling bigs.
Younger completed with 38 factors and 19 assists with Mikal Bridges as his main defender. However the larger concern? The straightforward buckets Atlanta created all night time.
4 Hawks starters scored 19 or extra factors, and Caris LeVert — acquired within the commerce that despatched De’Andre Hunter to Cleveland — torched the Knicks for 20 factors off the bench.
This has turn into a season-long pattern for New York:
• 25 factors from Payton Pritchard within the loss to Boston
• 18 factors from Benedict Mathurin in Tuesday’s win over Indiana
• 20 factors from LeVert and 21 from Georges Niang on Wednesday
The Knicks’ second unit has struggled to comprise opposing bench scorers all season.
Younger, in the meantime, in the end fell sufferer to his personal shot choice. In time beyond regulation, he hoisted a deep 30-footer that clanked off the again iron, then threw an errant lob that resulted in a turnover on the very subsequent possession.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Knicks now head right into a much-needed week-long All-Star break earlier than the actual grind begins.
Anunoby must be again quickly. Robinson, too.
And as soon as this crew is totally wholesome, we’ll get a a lot clearer reply:
Are the Knicks really able to contend? Or are the “not serious contender” allegations official?
