The Knicks didn’t get nearly enough production from their star players in Saturday’s loss to the Heat, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett combined to shoot 16-of-51 from the field and 2-of-17 from three-point range as New York was badly outplayed in Game 3.
“A lot of that starts with me,” Brunson said. “They’re a very paint-heavy team when you drive the ball offensively. They’re going to collapse. There’s a lot of eyes on me when I drive the ball, so I have to be able to find guys and get them in the right positions to take their shots. It starts with me, and I know I’ve said this before, I got to be better.”
Randle was able to play 38 minutes Saturday in his second game since returning from a sprained ankle. He didn’t use the injury as an excuse for his 4-for-15 shooting performance and assured reporters that he’ll be fine for the rest of the series.
“Like I said, you all keep asking me. It does not matter. I’ll be available to play,” Randle said. “I get myself ready. In my mind, it’s not a factor. I’ve got to find a way to play better and get a win.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Immanuel Quickley twisted his ankle late in Saturday’s game when he collided with Bam Adebayo in a chase for a loose ball, per Steve Popper of Newsday. Quickley limped to the locker room and isn’t sure about his status for Monday’s Game 4. “It hurt a lot,” he said. “Part of the game.”
- Coach Tom Thibodeau has made a significant lineup change in this series, Popper adds, using Josh Hart as a starter to match up with Jimmy Butler and bringing Quentin Grimes off the bench. Popper notes that Grimes saw crunch-time minutes in Game 2 in place of Barrett. “I think as games wind down, a lot of it is going to be matchup-driven,” Thibodeau explained. “What are you trying to get to? And that’s the thing. When you factor in Kyle (Lowry) and the thing he does, particularly with Jimmy, there’s a lot of things going on. There are a lot of things going on within the game, so we have to have awareness.”
- The Knicks’ centers were dominant in the first round, but they haven’t been effective against Adebayo, states Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein combined for two points and eight rebounds Saturday, and Thibodeau used a small-ball lineup for much of the fourth quarter with power forwards Randle and Obi Toppin playing together.
Defensively Randle & Toppin are like Swiss cheese….Offensively they’re Ok together…. Knicks are desperate if they maxed out Barrett and he’s not finishing some play off games…. Hartenstein & Robinson are a load on boards… & tough D in lane… hey they’re not their to score….. Knicks are desperate now….
I don’t know that the Knicks are desperate right now, at least no more than any team down 2-1 after giving up Home Court advantage right off the bat.
Barrett doesn’t play good enough D or shoot well enough from the outside to finish games. He wasn’t maxed out though, he got 4 years/$106 million. That’s a $26.5M AAV, and he makes less than $24M next year. He still has value in the league, he just might not be the best fit for the Knicks, especially late in games.
Heat have bullied Knicks. And Thibs offense has made it easier for them to do it. He’s getting out coached so far. And truth is we were lucky to win gm 2. We need ball movement. Move the ball move the ball.
Put Hart back on bench. And put RJ on Jimmy. There is too much dribbling not enough passing. We need shooting right ……. well he’s sitting right next you. He can shoot. I know Thibs hates his D. But he can handle Duncan. And should be able to give us 20 mins.
Iso ball is the easiest thing to defend as a team. Why aren’t they adjusting …….
Thibs, like Coach Bud are old school coaches, who are not quick to adjust…. Why didn’t coach Bud put Giannis, his best defender on Jimmy, didn’t adjust… adjustments are problem for Thibs….too dug in…. Hey, we’ll bring this up when Thibs one day when contract up, not renewed… they need an offensive coach to unlock offense as you mentioned… always can have an assistant head coach handle D… All teams have bad defenders, but they figure it out… their on court… team defense…
No bias here but a Nyk game 4 win sets this series up best for us outsiders
* Why is Gm 7 scheduled for Monday? Something booked up that weekend in Mia arena prior, seems odd
As a Heat fan, please keep using Mitchell Robinson. Please dont use Randle/Toppin at the 5 against us. Please dont notice how that effects the spacing and has been a significant contributor to your shooting issues. Please keep letting the Heat get away with playing Cody Zeller for 9-12 minutes in this matchup