Shooting Blanks

And the Razzie goes to...

Please make it stop.

Game 64: Knicks 73, Sixers 79

In a New York minute…

Both the Knicks and Sixers came out of the gate ice cold, failing to hit much of anything in the first quarter.

Or the second quarter.

Or the third.

Or the fourth.

In the end, Philly’s shooting was slightly less abominable than New York’s. That, plus a few less turnovers, was the difference in what was easily the ugliest game of this NBA season.

Top 10 Things I’d Have Rather Done Than Watched This Game

10. Been an extra on the set of Oppenheimer during the atomic bomb sequence.

9. Listen to Stephen A. Smith and Kenny Smith debate the merits of this loss.

8. Sleep.

7. Hear Woj break news that the Knicks have re-signed Enes Kanter.

6. Set up Tom Thibodeau’s Tinder profile.

5. Rebound for Ben Simmons at shoot-around.

4. Watch Madame Web.

3. Take a charge from Andre Drummond.

2. Engage with the Cam Hive.

1. Be James Dolan’s publicist for a day.

Play of the Day

At least Donte DiVincenzo and Isaiah Hartenstein both made contact with their intended targets on this fourth quarter scuffle, after which DiVo, I-Hart and Paul Reed were assessed technical fouls.

Loudest the Garden got all night.

💫 Stars of the Game 💫

I have no earthly clue how I’m supposed to award stars for this pile of excrement. Outside of one player who is actually deserving of some recognition, the other four starters combined to shoot 18-of-60 from the field.

And they were better than anyone that came off the bench.

⭐️ Precious Achiuwa

⭐️ ⭐️ Jericho Sims

I stared at my computer screen for several minuted attempting to decide on the least-horrid performances in this game, waiting for a light bulb to go off.

It never did.

I ultimately picked Sims, who didn’t do anything that was actively bad, and Achiuwa, who was just 2-for-8 from the field but contributed three blocks and two steals in a strong defensive effort.

Both players should donate their stars to charity.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Isaiah Hartenstein: I-Hart gave us all a scare in the second half when he went back to the locker room for an extended period of time and came back with a heating pad on his back. He re-entered the game midway through the fourth and appeared fine, so we’ll see what happens from here.

Other than that though, this was an encouraging follow up to Friday’s night’s performance even if Hartenstein took (and made) only one shot. He looked mostly like himself and was a plus-10 on the night - easily the best on the team.

Tip-Ins…

🏀 Quote of the night, courtesy of Jalen Brunson after going 6-of-22: “I played like dogshit.”

🏀 It’s impossible to be mad at him because of the load he’s had to carry and how light’s out he’s been for most of this season, but Donte DiVincenzo is now 19-of-65 from deep in his last five games.

He may need the Knicks to get healthy as much as anyone so he can go back to shouldering a more manageable (and easier) shot diet.

🏀 As if shooting 6-of-17 wasn’t bad enough, Josh Hart tied a career high with six turnovers, including three in the first five minutes and 13 seconds.

On the bright side, his streak of 40-minute games extended to nine, making him just the 11th player in the last 15 season to play at least that many minutes in nine or more consecutive outings:

My guess is that OG sits out one more game, and Hart gets to 10 before the streak finally ends in Portland.

🏀 Despite the above numbers from the Nova trio, Bojan Bogdanovic was somehow worse than all of them. Yes, he was the lone Knick to take at least three shots and hit more than 35 percent from the field, but there were several instances he passed up decent looks with time running low on the clock to pass to a worse shooter instead. His offensive impact has not been anything close to what was anticipated.

As of now, more than after any other game in the last month, the trade with Detroit looks like an abject failure. For all of their ills, New York’s starters outscored their Philly counterparts. Meanwhile, Bogey was a minus-12 in 18 minutes, while Alec Burks was a minus-seven in 12 minutes.

🏀 This newsletter shouldn’t be as downtrodden as it is.

There have been around a thousand NBA games played this season and only four times has a team failed to score 80 points. New York’s defense has been responsible for two of those instances, in each of their last two games. Their defense is operating at an elite level, and at no time last night could you question their effort, as has been the case for the vast majority of this season.

This is a very positive sign, as is the fact that reinforcements are coming. OG Anunoby is close to playing, and Julius Randle shouldn’t be far behind.

Cold shooting nights happen, as do turnovers. These are not endemic to this team, especially not at full health.

But, my Lord, was last night a sight to behold.

Or better yet, not to.

Against Philly, the Knicks became only the second team in NBA history to:

• Shoot under 33 percent from the field

• Shoot under 23 percent from three

• Take at least 40 attempts from deep, and

• Commit at least 20 turnovers

…all in the same game. They joined the 2020-21 Houston Rockets, who checked all of those boxes in a 133-84 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on February 28, 2021 en route to a 17-55 season.

Unlike that game, which featured a 30-point margin shortly after halftime, the Knicks deserve credit for staying in this one ‘till the end. After Josh Hart nailed a three with 2:19 remaining, New York was somehow within three points despite a once-in-a-blue-moon shooting night. The only reason they were in that position was a refusal to let go of the rope (and the fact that they were playing an equally depleted Sixers team missing both of their All-Stars).

Even so, this one stung. The Knicks had a chance to put some real distance between themselves and their Eastern Conference competitors in the race for home court, but once again find themselves in a rat race to the finish line…

Standings Check In

On that note, the only saving grace of the evening is that New York didn’t even have the worst loss of the night. Miami lost to the previously 10-53 Wizards, while the Magic also dropped their second straight (albeit to the Pacers, who are also right in the thick of things).

Here’s where things stand as of now:

Up Next…

A rematch with Philly tomorrow night.

Final Thought

Flush this one right down the crapper.

Oof.

🏀

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”