Knicks 121, Nets 102
In a world that often fails to make sense, one comfort food reality is back in effect: the Knicks >>> the Nets
Two roads diverge in a yellow wood, right? Well, Robert Frost’s intellectual and poetic quandary is reincarnated at the tail end of 2023 in my own personal dilemma: which video best sums up the Knicks’ 121-102 victory over their NYC foes? One could say it’s Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley griddying on the parquet floor at Barclays.
Or maybe it is Tom Thibedau transitioning from scowling to smiling with 10 minutes to go in the game with a sizeable 98-79 lead.
Whichever you choose, the Battle of the Boroughs ended in the blue (and orange) blood’s favor. The Knicks traveled to Barclays to face the Brooklyn Nets and return uptown with their 16th win against 11 losses. The storylines in the fight for the City are endless: five Villanova champions on the floor at once; the Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith celebrating the heartwarming homecoming of his father; and no Mitchell Robinson or Jericho Sims for the Knicks.
Heading into the matchup, The Strickland’s very own Geoff Rasmussen told SNY’s Brandon London “I believe the Knicks are in a really good place,” highlighting Julius Randle’s success in particular. He also disspelled a common bias around the outerborough boys: “There’s this assumption that the Nets are this team with a bunch of wings that plays defense . . . But this season they’re actually shooting the sixth-most 3-pointers in the entire NBA, and they’re second in . . . 3-point percentage.” The Nets are under .500, but as Geoff pointed out, they have an impressive shooting ability. It’s like Geoff can see into the future and corrupt it, because the Nets went on to shoot 31.9% from 3, only posting a 36.6% field goal percentage. The real Nets’ downfall came from Mikal Bridges only going 1-for-8 from deep, finishing with 15 points.
For the Knicks, as per usual, Randle led the way with 26 without any 3s. So is this a rivalry? The Knicks have now won the last three games against their downtown opponents, a reality Randle knows his team’s fans will embrace. “Everything’s back to normal, I guess,” he said about the Knicks reversing course; before there 3-game streak against the Nets, Brooklyn had beaten New York nine straight. Randle did well inside, including a monster finish down low in the fourth with two Nets players guarding him. He even got his own free throw miss, proving just how well he does cutting to the basket.
“One thing you don’t want to see [as a defender] is Julius Randle with a head of steam coming downhill,” Thibodeau said. With Mitchell Robinson now out for the season, Randle’s success down low is going to be crucial for New York.
In the latest Knicks news, Robinson’s recent ankle surgery has pushed the team to apply for a Disabled Player Exception, giving them the option to add a player through the trade deadline. Let the rumors begin.
Quickley added 19 and 2, and with less than five minutes to go, got called for a tech after “flopping” and dapping up Spike Lee.
Back to good news for Knicks fans: the squad outrebounded the Nets 54-49 and scored 21 in transition.
They also got a couple points out of new addition Taj Gibson, who said afterward, “It’s a dream to wear the jersey. It’s inspirational to come in and see orange and blue.” Gibson was a first-round pick in 2009 for the Bulls where he played with Thibs, also suiting up for him in Minnesota before following him to the Knicks from 2019-22. He is a familiar face for Knicks fans, and his chemistry with his former coach is palpable. “If he didn’t play a second,” Thibodeau said, “he would still be contributing. He’s the ultimate pro; he’s a good teammate.”
As for Jalen Brunson, he was held to six points in the first half, but managed to add 10 in the second and finish with seven rebounds and eight assists, to pair with Donte DiVincenzo’s 23 and eight in just 22 minutes. Rounding out the Villanova triad, Josh Hart put up 10 and 13.
So whatever reaction you have to the win, as usual take it with a grain of salt and a warm beverage. The squad may have lit up Barclays, but now the attention turns to two games against Milwaukee – and finding a replacement for Robinson.
