Shorthanded Success

In their first game of the season without Julius Randle, the Knicks (eventually) found their way to an easy win.

Good morning! This was a day of cautious optimism followed by a methodical drubbing. Not a bad way to start the week.

Game 47: Knicks 113, Hornets 92

In a New York minute…

This one got off to a clunky start, with both teams bricking almost everything from the outside. It resulted in a close, low-scoring game for one half, with neither team able to generate more than a five-point advantage and a total of just 89 points at halftime. The third quarter was a completely different story, as New York nearly exceeded their entire first half point total behind a scoring barrage from former roommates Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo. The lead got as high as 29, and while Charlotte cut it to 14 in the final minutes, the result was never really in doubt.

Three Things

1. Front Court Fill Ins. Talk about being down bodies.

Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks’ early season All-Defense candidate, has been gone for seven weeks. His replacement, Isaiah Hartenstein, is still on the mend from an Achilles injury and played just 16 minutes. Julius Randle missed his first game of the season as he begins his recovery from a dislocated shoulder. And then on top of all that, we learned an hour before tip off that OG Anunoby would be sidelined with elbow inflammation.

With all those absences, third string center Precious Achiuwa was forced into the starting lineup at power forward, while fourth string center Jericho Sims saw 24 big minutes of action.

Both players more than answered the call.

Playing against a Hornets team that doesn’t take a lot of threes (they attempted just 32 last night) and instead tries to put pressure on the rim, both Sims and Achiuwa were tested early and often, and the results were more than respectable.

Showing high level footwork all game long, each player had several standout defensive moments from behind the arc to inside the restricted area. Achiuwa in particular has been a revelation on that end of the court:

Each big man also contributed offensively as well. Sims grabbed three offensive boards and converted two for putback dunks while also catching a lob to start the scoring in the second. His dish to a cutting Quentin Grimes early in the fourth was a thing of beauty.

Achiuwa, meanwhile, went 4-of-6 from the field, including a corner three just out of halftime that helped New York get rolling. You can tell he is becoming more and more comfortable in this offense with each additional game.

While neither player figures to remain in the rotation once the Knicks are at full strength, it’s good to know that they have two dependable backups if and when their normal big bodies aren’t available for service.