Starring in Your Role

With Jalen Brunson having an off game, the Knicks' role players pulled away from the Nets in the 4th.

Good morning, and Happy Sunday! With the Knicks off tonight and some family obligations today, this newsletter will likely take the place of the usual Monday edition. That said, if I can get a quick missive out by tomorrow morning, I certainly will.

Game 70: Knicks 105, Nets 93

In a New York minute…

With a 1pm start time between the inter-borough rivals, you just knew this one was going to be weird. Sure enough, the Nets came out hitting everything while Jalen Brunson was stuck in neutral. Even so, this was a one-point game at the half thanks to a clean performance overall and some outstanding shot-making from Deuce McBride. New York went on a 9-0 run near the end of a tight third, but we were tied at 80 with just under a quarter to go. From there, the Knicks uncorked one of their best runs of the season, scoring 22 of the next 26 points to put this one to bed.

Three Things

1. No Brunson magic, no problem. It’s a misnomer to say the Knicks have been incapable of winning games without Jalen Brunson having a big performance.

Before yesterday, they’d won four games this season when Brunson shot under 30 percent from the field, and that doesn’t even count the game in Cleveland when he left after 47 seconds following a lone missed shot.

Yet, in only two of those victories - their New Year’s Day win against the Timberwolves when Brunson went 5-for-23 but dished a season-high 14 assists, and then when he went 5-for-18 against the Sixers but got the line 11 times - did Jalen attempt more than 12 shots.

Overall, in games JB had taken at least 16 shots but hit under 42 percent from the field, New York was 2-7 before yesterday. Throw in their 2-4 record in games he’s missed (or effectively missed, i.e. Cleveland), and it’s not like the Knicks track record has been great when their star is out or shoots a lot and doesn’t have it. More than that, among his low scoring and/or inefficient games, all but the Cavs win have come when New York was fully healthy and got big performances from other high profile players.

Well on Saturday afternoon, Randle and OG were on the shelf and IQ and RJ were in Toronto. Brunson, meanwhile, finished the game 7-for-24 and didn’t get to the line a single time. That combination produced a 34.2 true shooting percentage - his fourth lowest in 63 games¹, and only the second time in 36 games it was under 40 with a usage rate over 30. It was as close to blue moon as we’re ever going to get.

Despite those incredibly rare struggles, the Knicks went up by 18 with just under five minutes left in the fourth in what turned into a laugher. To do so, they followed a familiar script, handily winning the possession game and taking 21 more shot attempts than Brooklyn thanks to offensive boards and forcing turnovers. They also relied on their defense, which is third in the league since the break after holding yet another opponent under 100 points.

But even with those pluses, the Knicks couldn’t have overcome a bad shooting night from Brunson without some big time performances elsewhere on the roster…

2. Star in your role. The last time two Knicks had over 25 points in the same game and neither of them was named Jalen Brunson or Julius Randle was April 9 of last season, when Obi and IQ both did it in a meaningless season finale in which neither JB nor Julius suited up.

For the last time it happened in a game Randle played, you have to go back to the double OT thriller in Boston from last season, but Brunson missed that game as well.

At no time since Brunson arrived as a free agent have two non-JB/Julius Knicks topped 25 in a game that also featured a healthy Jalen.

Until yesterday.

54 percent of New York’s points came from Donte DiVincenzo and Deuce McBride, which is not something anyone had on their bingo card in training camp. If you throw in Isaiah Hartenstein’s 17, that’s 74 of 105 points courtesy of two players who began the season as backups and one player who was out of the rotation entirely.

If ever there’s been a testament to the depth this front office has assembled, it was this win. More than that, give credit to the players for staying ready to step into bigger roles when called for (and to the coaching staff that helps to keep them prepared at all times).

3. Closing time. After a Cam Thomas buzzer-beating triple closed the scoring in the third, the Knicks went into the final frame with just a three-point lead. After DJS hit from long range 16 seconds into the fourth, the score was tied.

Over the ensuing eight minutes, New York outscored Brooklyn by a score of 22-4 despite not getting a single basket from their star point guard. Four other Knicks combined to do all the scoring, while their collective defense was as stifling as it has been all season. It was the sort of stretch that makes you believe this team can do special things come April and May.

With yet another big time fourth quarter showing, New York crept closer to Minnesota for the second best fourth quarter scoring margin in the league, with only Boston ahead from there:

That the Knicks have been so dominant to close games despite not shooting particularly well (10th worst eFG% in fourth quarters, slightly worse than they are in the first three) is a testament to how many other boxes they routinely check.

Their best areas, unsurprisingly: holding opponents to the 7th lowest fourth quarter efficiency, grabbing the ninth most offensive boards, committing the ninth fewest turnovers, and cleaning the defensive glass better than any team in basketball.

Add it all up, and the fourth quarter has become winning time for the ‘23-24 Knicks.

Play of the Day

I’m cheating here, doubling up the Play of the Day by spotlighting the first two buckets of the fourth quarter courtesy of Donte DiVincenzo.

If I could make the GIF a little longer, I’d have included the next basket too - a sweet righty scoop shot along the baseline after fooling Dennis Smith Jr with a hesitation dribble.

Tone-setting stuff from New York’s starting two guard.

💫 Stars of the Game 💫

⭐️ Isaiah Hartenstein: Not to beat a dead horse here, but since Randle’s last game, Jalen Brunson has received a star in all but three games he’s started, and one of those was the 47-second Cavs outing. It’s why there’s a genuine top-5 MVP case to be made, and why All-NBA is a virtual certainty.

So for JB not to show up in this space (and really, not to be in consideration) and the team still won going away is quite the surprise.

Not remotely a surprise: Isaiah Hartenstein looking like a top-10 center yet agian.

The first half, in which I-Hart was a plus-14 in 11 minutes in a game the Knicks trailed, told the whole story. He continues to knock on the door of the top 30 in total plus / minus for the season, ranking 33rd at plus-293 as of 8:30 last night.

Again, his scoring stole the show. After 11 consecutive games in single digits, Hartenstein now has 50 points in his last three games, on 81 percent shooting no less.

And yet, one could easily argue that his defense remains his most valuable attribute. Between his glass work, pick and roll coverage and rim protection, I-Hart super glues everything else together when he’s on the floor.

⭐️ ⭐️ Donte DiVincenzo: Let me take this opportunity to shout out everyone who braved the elements and came out to watch the game with us at T2 Social. It made a great win even better (and ding, dong, the curse is dead).

Anyway, because I wasn’t doing the postgame, Andrew Claudio took videos of my reactions after each of the first three quarters to post on social media. In my video leading into the fourth, I specifically shouted as Deuce McBride and Isaiah Hartenstein as the only reasons the Knicks were in the game. Before the words were even out of my mouth, a little voice in the back of my head was yelling “what about Donte?!”

Silly me. It may have been on the quieter side, but DiVo entered the fourth with 18 points on 15 shots, which was downright scorching compared to everyone outside of Deuce and I-Hart. On the other hand, maybe the karma from my slight imbued him with a little something extra for the final push.

Sure, let’s go with that.

Whatever the reason, DiVincenzo scored 13 in the fourth, including 10 of the first 12. The last of those came on a 3-pointer that provided the first double digit lead for either team, and one the Knicks would not relinquish.

Donte finished with a team high 31 - the seventh time in 24 games since the Randle injury that he’s led New York in scoring. In that time, DiVincenzo is averaging 21 points a night while shooting 36.6 percent on an absurd 12 3-point attempts per game. That trails only Steph Curry (12.9) over the same span, with Luka the only other player in double figures at 10.4.

East Coast Splash Brother from Another Mother.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Deuce McBride: Even in the modern NBA, efficiency alone only goes so far. If a player isn’t willing to hoist it without hesitation, almost no level of efficiency will be enough to cause defenses to guard them.

And if you’re a role player that teams sag off to help defend the star, you’re not doing your job.

For that reason, the most impressive part of Deuce McBride’s season - even more so than his Carl Lewis-level leap in effective field goal percentage - might be how trigger happy he’s become. After holding stead at 10.5 and 10.2 field goal attempts per 36 minutes in his first two seasons, McBride has jumped up to 12.7 / 36 this year. That increase has come with far more playing time, which makes it even more impressive.

That increased comfort level came to a head yesterday, when Deuce set a new career high for threes attempted with 12, and tied a previous career high for most makes with six. In nine starts this season (I’m including the Cavs game when he played the final 47:13), McBride is now averaging 8.8 deep attempts per game. His conversion rate has fallen off a bit in those nine games from his season-long number, but not by much - 40.5 percent to 41.6 percent.

In other words, whether he’s playing seven minutes or 47, McBride is consistently productive.

Last night, in joining his teammate Josh Hart as the only players to play all 48 minutes of a regulation game this season, McBride’s contributions were especially important in the first half. Deuce went 4-of-7 from deep before halftime, and every one seemed big in the moment.

He finished with 26 points, three off the career high he set less than a week ago. It’s his eighth time this season scoring over 15 points after doing so just once in his first two years.

This is what a breakout looks like, folks.

Tip-Ins…

🏀 If you believed in signs from the basketball gods, this was not supposed to be New York’s night.

As time wound down in the first half, Mikal Bridges hoisted up a 62-footer from well beyond half court that touched nothing but net to give the Nets the lead.

Then at the end of the third, Cam Thomas sank a well-defended 28-footer just before the clock hit zero.

Alas, those six points were more than Brooklyn scored in the first five minutes of the fourth.

Even the basketball gods have their limit.

🏀 The Bojan Bodganovic experience may be coming to a pitiful conclusion.

After hitting 1-of-2 shots, committing a bad turnover, and playing some typically poor defense in his seven first half minutes, Bogey didn’t get off the pine after halftime. Alec Burks did, but managed just a 2-for-9 performance in his 15 minutes of play. On the bright side, he did notch one assist, which is like five assists for a normal player.

Precious Achiuwa, meanwhile, saw his fewest minutes in more than two months, and like Bogdanovic, didn’t see the court after the second quarter. With the emergence of McBride and his ability to provide a significant spacing threat, Achiuwa’s non-center minutes have all but vanished, and Sims has been a bit sturdier on the defensive end.

🏀 Josh Hart had a quiet first ha1f but really crashed the boards after halftime, finishing with 13 in 44 big minutes. On the downside, he’s in a bit of a shooting slump from deep, and missed all three of his attempts from behind the arc.

🏀 Enjoy this Thibs soundbite on Deuce if you need a smile.

Standings Check In

Hooray for Sacramento! Their dramatic win in Orlando put the Knicks back into sole possession of 4th.

The Cavs are in Miami tonight.

Up Next…

The Knicks host the Pistons on Monday. Here’s the link for the halftime zoom.

Final Thought

When Mitch went down, they were 12-9 and we feared the worst.

When Julius and OG went down, we were 29-17 and feared the worst.

Now, the Knicks are 42-28. They’ve climbed higher and higher above .500 with each additional malady.

Incredible stuff from these Knicks.

🏀

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

1. Again, not counting the 47-second Cavs game.