RJ Barrett got the ball with 1.5 seconds left in a tie game and banked in a 3-pt jumper from right side while heavily defended and falling away – a miracle shot that caused Madison Square Garden to ERUPT in pandemonium as the Knicks came away with the 108-105 victory over Boston. A game in which NY had been down by 25 points earlier.
RJ’s shot ‘heard round the world’ came in front of a National TV audience on TNT on a Thursday night at MSG – the video snippet of which went viral on Twitter as announcer Brian Anderson made the call.
RJ BARRETT CALLED GAME pic.twitter.com/KOIFmnuvFa
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 7, 2022
When asked afterwards if he thought it was going in, RJ said, “Of course” and laughed. “It was definitely a tougher shot because Jason (Tatum) is so tall, but every time I shoot I think it’s going in. I didn’t even see it cause I fell, but just from everybody else’s reaction I could tell; so it was cool.”
1. RJ’s Big Shot Makes Up for So-So Game
RJ’s miracle game winner made up for a so-so game from him, after having had 3 straight strong performances. In this one he finished with 13 points on 4-15 shooting (2-4 from 3; 3-4 in free throws). Barrett’s one free throw miss was a big one, 17 seconds earlier in the game when he went 1-2 from the line to put the Knicks up 104-101 with 18 seconds left, and he could have iced the game by making both.
Eight seconds later, Julius Randle went to the line with a chance to ice it, but he also went 1-2 from the line (missing the first like Barrett did) – and so NY had a 2 point lead with 12 seconds left. That allowed Jayson Tatum to tie the game with an 18 footer with 2.2 seconds left. The Knicks called timeout with 1.5 seconds left in the game.
And the rest was “RJ Barrett shot heard round the world” history.
This courtside clip is tough! (via chris.paesano/IG)
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— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 7, 2022
2. Fournier Scores 41 to Lead Knicks Back
Evan Fournier scored 41 points to bring the Knicks back in this game. He was 15-25 overall and 10-14 from 3 with 8 rebounds and 2 assists, and had a +18.
Evan. Walking bucket. pic.twitter.com/YPh5WwWhlb
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 7, 2022
The Knicks were down by 25 in the second quarter, when Evan Fournier started to get hot and pull them back into the game. A Fournier jumper and 3-pointer sandwiched a Mitchell Robinson dunk, and was followed by an RJ Barrett dunk for an 8-0 Knick run to end the half – pulling NY to within 16.
Consecutive 3’s by Barrett and Fournier opened the 3rd quarter and just like that the Knicks were within 10 – a 14-0 run.
But Boston pushed back – re-establishing a 20-pt lead with 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Evan Fournier brought the Knicks back again with consecutive 3’s and an Immanuel Quickley 3 brought the Knicks to within 9 at 82-73. Julius Randle’s drive ended the 3’rd quarter with NY down 84-77.
The Knicks finally tied the game 96-96 on an Evan Fournier jumper with 4:04 left. Fournier put the Knicks ahead for the first time, 99-98, on a 3 with 2:02 to go.
Etcetera
- Julius Randle had 22 pts and 8 rebounds.
- Immanuel Quickley had 16 pts on 6-12 shooting (3-5 from 3). Alec Burks went only 1-10 but had 9 rebounds and 7 assists. He and Quickley played the point guard position for the Knicks all night.
- Jason Tatum led Boston with 36 points on 12-21 shooting (6-11 from 3); Dennis Schroder had 20 off the bench; Jaylen Brown had 16; and Marcus Smart 14.
- The win gave NY a 19-20 record. Boston fell to 18-21. The two teams meet again in a rematch in Boston on Saturday night.
- NY is now 5-2 in its last 7 games.
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