The Knicks know how to win now. They are at that level of good. After last year’s 41-31 season — the Knicks are at the point where they can turn on their defense and ignite their offense and win games down the stretch.
In this one they were down by 19 points midway through the 3rd quarter, then made several runs but were still down 10 points, 108-98, with just under 3 minutes left in the game. New York then went on a furious 17-5 run down the stretch, capped by Julius Randle‘s game-winning jumper with .3 seconds left on the clock, to win.
Julius called game. pic.twitter.com/WD1lznidlY
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2021
Randle made amends for 2 missed free throws that would have iced the game with 18 seconds left; Washington came back with a 3 by Corey Kispert to tie the game with 15 seconds left. Then came Randle on the Knicks final possession.
The game was played before a Playoff-Intensity Loud, Frenetic Madison Square Garden crowd on a Friday night. NY finishes the preseason with a 4-0 record.
“That Team Was Hustling Like Crazy; Flying Around” — Thibs
“Great game for us, because we had to navigate through a lot of things,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “Washington I thought played really well. We caught a little rhythm in the 4th — dug our way out of that hole — that team was hustling like crazy; flying around. Got going into the open floor a little bit. Then made plays; made some big shots.”
“I thought Quentin gave us some really good minutes,” added Thibodeau. “I thought Obi and Julius were terrific. That group that we finished with — RJ and Derrick… was good. And that’s the way the season goes. There’s a lot of different things that happen; and you start to search when you get in a hole like that. You find a group that’s working well and you let ’em go.”
1. New York’s 1st Run
The Knicks were down by 19 points to Washington — 81-62 with 4:52 left in the 3rd quarter when they began their first run: three 3-pointers — by Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, and Derrick Rose pulled NY to within 10 points to make the game interesting.
But Washington scored the last 5 points of the 3rd quarter to enter the 4th with a 15-point lead.
Montrezl Harrell powered inside on several moves at the start of the 4th, resulting in free throws to put Washington back up by 18 — 93-75, with 11 minutes left in the game.
2. Rose Guides Knicks’ 2nd Run
Then Derrick Rose took over. He hit a jumper to pull NY within 17, hit a 3 after a Mitchell Robinson inside bucket to pull NY within 11 pts with 10 minutes left, and hit another jumper to offset a Harrell bucket to make it 95-84 Washington with 9 minutes left.
R 💥 S E
21 PTS / 3 AST / 2 3PM pic.twitter.com/wuDu1QXprp
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2021
3. Knicks’ Final Run
Still the Knicks were down by 14 with 6 minutes left, when Julius Randle made a power move on Deni Avdija, was fouled, and hit two free throws plus a free throw off a technical administered to Avdija to pull NY within 11.
And NY was Still down by 10, 108-98, with 3 minutes left and Washington with the ball.
And then… NY sucked in its defense, and rolled its offense:
- Obi Toppin scored a bucket,
- Derrick Rose hit a 3-pointer, and
- Quentin Grimes hit a 3 and just like that it was 108-106, Washington.
GRIMES TIME pic.twitter.com/FGDvZ8PMbE
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2021
Washington’s Raul Neto made a layup but Julius Randle was right back with a 3 with 1:16 left and NY was down by 1.
Clutch Jules pic.twitter.com/OVEPuLISPr
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2021
Randle then powered inside and was fouled — made both free throws and NY was up 111-110 with 40 seconds left.
Derrick Rose then was fouled on a drive, made both free throws and NY was up 113-110.
The Knicks continued their ferocious defense — RJ Barrett with a block on a drive by Neto.
We'd be remiss to not clip this one.
😤 @RjBarrett6 pic.twitter.com/1Mf8S8G2ZF
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2021
After the Barrett block, Julius Randle was fouled on a drive at the other end with 18 seconds left and it looked like the old ballgame — as he went to the line with the opportunity to put NY up by 5.
But Randle missed both free throws.
Washington inbounded and Corey Kispert immediately hit a 3 to tie the game with 15 seconds left.
That gave NY a final possession and Julius Randle took over — dribbling out the clock (as Thibodeau later said he instructed) and hitting the 18 footer with .3 on the clock for the game winner.
MSG posted a video of Julius Randle’s son Kyden watching the game winner at home:
Kyden was hype after the @J30_RANDLE gamewinner
(Via: @KendraRandle_) pic.twitter.com/KNOgPGooxd
— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) October 16, 2021
Etcetera
- It was Mitchell Robinson‘s first game played since he broke his foot last February. He played well — 6 pts, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals in 27 minutes.
- Derrick Rose led the Knicks with 28 pts on 11-20 shooting and 6 assists.
- RJ Barrett had 18 pts on 7-14 shooting (4-6 from 3).
- Julius Randle had 21 points and 9 rebounds.
- Kemba Walker started at point and had 12 points but he had a -20 and did not play down the stretch — 6’5 rookie Quentin Grimes did because of his defense.
- Quentin Grimes had 6 pts, 6 rebounds and a +16 in 21 minutes. He played with Julius Randle and Obi Toppin at the end. “He gives us another wing defender that is really good,” said Thibodeau of Grimes afterwards.
- Obi Toppin had a great game — very active in the 2nd half. He had 9 pts (on 4-8), 8 rebounds and a +18.
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