The Boston Celtics laid down a DEFENSE and stifled the Knicks to avenge the prior game where NY came back from a 25-point deficit to win on the last-second RJ Barrett 3 pointer.
In that game Evan Fournier scored 41 points; in this one Fournier did not play due to a ‘contused left thigh’. Still the Knicks jumped out to a 10-point lead in the 2nd quarter on the strong play of Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. But Boston then laid down the D and in the end won easily — blowing the Knicks out with a 20+ lead throughout the 4th quarter. On a Saturday night in Boston.
1. Barrett & Quickley Lead Knicks
RJ Barrett started strong for the Knicks, and helped them to the early 10-point lead. He was 4-5 from 3 at one point and was scoring on drives with efficiency. But his shooting numbers fell as the game wore on in the 2nd half — he finished with 19 points, but on 7-21 shooting (4-9 from 3).
Back 2️⃣ back buckets from @RjBarrett6 🎯 pic.twitter.com/oA0nYX7at5
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 9, 2022
A lot of that had to do with the inside play of Boston center Robert Williams III — who was blocking shots inside, or forcing Knick penetrators like Barrett or Alec Burks, to alter their shot inside. Williams blocked 4 shots and altered many others. He is 4th in the NBA in blocked shots and has become a beast.
N🚫PE pic.twitter.com/SjsRHCNL35
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 9, 2022
Immanuel Quickley started at point and was another offensive weapon for the Knicks — finishing with 18 points on 7-11 shooting (3-5 from 3).
2. Smart, Brown, Williams, & Richardson Lead Celts
The Celtics started to lay down the frenetic D in the 2nd quarter when Josh Richardson and the 2nd team came out. Marcus Smart was a Defensive tornado all night — either hounding Quickley, or coming off his man to hound someone else — stripping the ball away from the likes of Julius Randle or anyone else with the ball.
And Jaylen Brown had the first triple double of his career — 22 points on 9-15 shooting (2-4 from 3), 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
3. Rooting for Stats
Boston took momentum and a 44-42 lead at the half, and then buried the Knicks in the 3rd quarter, 32-18, to take a 16-point lead into the 4th and it was all downhill from there for NY. Boston remained relentless on D, and the Knicks just didn’t have the firepower to overcome it — with Fournier out, and for that matter Derrick Rose and Kemba Walker.
In the final 5 minutes all you could do as a Knick fan was root for individual statistics, with the Knicks down 23 points.
Mitchell Robinson had 11 points on 5-5 shooting, and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes but was a non factor in this game. He had only 1 block. Williams III seemed the bigger (wider body although shorter) big man on the court.
Way to hustle, @23savage____. pic.twitter.com/TA3Rfu6hnC
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 9, 2022
Julius Randle finished with only 13 points on horrid 6-19 shooting (1-8 from 3) although he played with fire and grabbed rebounds (12) and dished (5 assists) as he normally does.
The Knicks didn’t hit their free throws either:
- NY was 6-15 from free throw line. Barrett was 1-5 and Robinson 1-4.
- Boston was 15-17 from free throw line.
Obi Toppin was an absolute non factor in 9 minutes, and shot an air ball on a 3. Quentin Grimes got 28 minutes but didn’t do much. Kevin Knox got 2 minutes off the bench.
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