Knicks 138, Pacers 129: This game was fun as fuck
The Knicks were short three starters and it didn’t matter — this group of young players is ready to annihilate other young cores any given night.
The Knicks played an utterly meaningless basketball game against the Pacers in their 80th game of the season. Our hometown heroes had already clinched the fifth seed, courtesy of a loss inflicted to the second-class denizens of our fine city, thanks to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Is any game totally devoid of meaning to the captain of these Knickerbockers, though?
No, not at all. And the biggest credit to Tom Thibodeau’s maniac obsession with winning basketball games — no matter how insignificant — that can be paid is the verve and energy that the Knicks starting five began with against the Indiana Pacers on a mind-blowingly pointless Wednesday evening game.
Were Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart, Obi Toppin, or Mitchell Robinson — five players who will feature heavily in the Knicks’ playoff (playoffs!?!?!?!) rotation — locked in defensively from start to finish? Certainly not.
What they were is absolutely miles ahead of the class of their competition on that night, at any point which the Pacers were bothered to give a fuck/shit/damn. And after witnessing a team, nay, a franchise, on the receiving end of these types of effortless drubbings for the better part of two decades, is that not a thing we should appreciate?
I cannot speak for the collective mindset of the fanbase, but myself? I loved every second of their relatively insipid collective defensive performance.
Quickley, Toppin and Grimes (who posted a career high) all notched 30-plus points with five-plus 3-pointers made. These are three players all selected by this current front office. If this isn’t a feather in their cap, then I do not know what is.
At the end of the game this group padded their offensive numbers while collecting a win, which meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, but simply added more joy into an already joyous season. For a team which has been a consistent letdown for the better part of two decades, a performance like this from a trio, drafted and developed by a franchise not renowned for such things is worthy of acclaim and recognition.
In summation: this game was fun as fuck.
Notes:
If your area code isn’t from or around Boston, voting anybody aside from Immanuel Quickley for Sixth Man of the Year is simply embarrassing. He has delivered at a high level regardless of the role that has been thrust upon him. Last night, even against a totally outmatched opponent, the offense fell apart when he was not on the floor — and when he was, they completely ripped apart the opposition. From feeding Mitchell Robinson at the start of the game to nailing step-back threes to conclude Wednesday’s encounter, he proved for the umpteenth time why he’s an invaluable piece for this team.
Quentin Grimes is playing the best ball of his career. Not only did he continue to knock down the catch-and-shoot threes we’re accustomed to seeing, but the ability to attack closeouts popped, and he showed, again, an increased ability to create his own offense that he has little chance to flash when the Knicks are at full health. Tie that in with the pretzel hold he had Indiana’s promising rookie Bennedict Mathurin in, and you see exactly why he was “untouchable” in trade talks last summer. The kid is an absolute fucking stud.
Obi Toppin scored 32 points. The best part? Almost all came in the flow of the offense. Should he start over Randle because of his performance in low-stakes, low-pressure, meaningless games? No, absolutely not. He did nothing to stem concerns over his defensive aptitude, nor his ability to maintain integrity on the defensive glass, but it is intriguing to think about what a team that fully invested into him as a high-minutes starter could yield. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to be the Knicks (this is not Randle slander).
Mitch was dominant, but if he had tried to stop breaking the hoop with every dunk he could’ve easily had a 20-plus point game. As it was, he was dominant, and was maybe the only Knick to give a consistent positive defensive effort throughout.
Evan Fournier is cooked product.
Deuce McBride is fun when he’s on the floor with a primary ball handler, but when he’s tasked with those duties himself he’s still very much a work in progress. That is his next step as a player, and if he makes it he becomes increasingly valuable to the Knicks and as a trade asset.
Sims could not contain Oshae Brisett's forays to the rim. Take that for what it is.
Hartenstein wasn’t great, but it says something that nobody cares. A man who has been as god damn good as he’s been for the last two months deserves reprieve when he has a random night off in a game of zero consequence.
There is a speed the Knicks play at with Hart, Grimes, Quickley, and Toppin which really pops. I’m not entirely certain this season’s version of RJ Barrett would’ve benefited them with his presence last night. I would love nothing more than for him to prove me a complete fucking idiot in the playoffs. Lord knows it would not be the first time that’s happened.
Conclusion: The Knicks are a really good basketball team blessed with strength, and that came through last night. Their depth, devoid of three starters, completely destroyed the Pacers’ depth.
There isn’t much to be taken from the rest of this regular season from the Knicks, but a game against a Pelicans team, fighting for real stakes, on Friday night provides a potentially interesting litmus test for a burgeoning group of Knicks youngsters. I’m pumped.
