Super Sunday

The Knicks rebounded from Friday's loss in a big way thanks to some big performances from the back of the rotation.

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a great weekend, and special shout out to everyone who felt as old as I did during yesterday’s halftime show. Let’s get to one heck of a win.

Knicks 111, Celtics 89

34-19 (W1); 13-13 on the road

Late in the third quarter of yesterday’s win, as the Knicks were holding steady in a game they really wanted - and maybe needed - there was one moment where everything converged.

Young and old, past and present, all together in a single game-defining sequence.

The play was for Jaylen Brown, who tortured the Knicks back in December for a then season-high 42 points.

He got many of them in the same fashion, by bringing Jalen Brunson into one merciless action after another. It is the sort of thing good offenses have done against the Knicks far too often, in large part because it’s hard to prevent even when they know what’s coming. Even pre-switching before the screen necessitates not only awareness, but supreme execution.

Enter the newest Knick, Jose Alvarado, and boy oh boy, has he been a long time coming.

Watch Alvarado as Derrick White starts moving up to towards the level to set a screen, imploring his new teammate to retreat back to Payton Prichard in the corner so he can handle Brown.

But the battle has only just begun, as Boston’s best player still has (at least) six inches on his new defender. As a result, Brown’s former defender Mohammed Diawara needs to nail perhaps the most difficult dance NBA defenders have had to navigate over the last three seasons: being ready to provide timely help when one of Tatum or Brown gets a switch. Abandon your man too early and you’re dead. Get there too late and you’re dead. Knowing this, he springs at the last possible moment, reaching Brown’s airspace just as Jaylen lifts to shoot.

Turns out, Diawara had nothing to worry about. With pickpocketting prowess that would make Danny Ocean proud, Alvarado swipes Brown’s shot on the way up, leaving nothing for Mo to do but grab his easiest rebound of the night.

Two Knicks, one who wasn’t supposed to contribute this season (if ever) and another who played for the 14-win Pelicans just four days ago, combining for the sort of winning possession that turns games.

Ain’t life grand.

It was a good reminder that even on a team as top-heavy as New York, the difference between victory and defeat is often found on the margins. Those margins looked awfully strong on Sunday afternoon.

In what may have been their finest defensive effort of the season considering the absence of OG Anunoby, the Knicks got back on track in the same way they dug out of their 2-9 hole. Boston’s 89 points were six fewer than their next lowest total, thanks to a New York defense that was completely locked in from the opening tip¹.

Did the Celtics miss a few open looks? Yes, but no more than the Knicks missed on Friday night in Detroit. That comes with the territory when you shoot as many threes as they do, as we know from the 2025 East Semis. More importantly, the open looks they got were the exception, not the rule. By and large, New York’s defense held the line. Best of all, they only got stronger as the game went on. After an initial flurry out of halftime, Boston scored just 28 points over the final 20:48 of play.

But the C’s 89 points would have been enough to win handily if they faced the same Knick offense that showed up in Detroit. Thankfully, everyone awoke from their Motor City slumber, but no one turned it around more than New York’s resident podcasters.

In that shellacking, Jalen Brunson was 4-of-20 and Josh Hart was a ghost. For JB, it was easier to write off the poor showing as an anomaly, if only because we’ve seen him navigate Ausar Thompson before. For Hart, the game was a troubling extension of some recent hesitancy that was all too reminiscent of last season.

After attempting at least three 3-point field goals in 19 consecutive games and averaging 4.6 attempts over that time, Hart attempted two or fewer four times in the 10 games since, with an average of just 3.3. That was a scary trend going into Boston, where the Celtics have been as blatant as any team in ignoring Josh with their center. For that reason, even with a virtuoso effort from Brunson, Hart’s confident performance (19 points, including 2-of-6 makes from deep) was arguably more significant.

Thanks to all three Nova Knicks (Mikal had a tidy 14 on 10 shots), New York overcame another tough game in Boston from Karl-Anthony Towns (11 points, 3-of-9 shooting, three turnovers). To KAT’s credit though, he never let up on defense or on the glass. The offense is coming. It’s just a matter of time.

Considering we’re still waiting for Towns to really be Towns after 53 games, the fact that the Knicks are in second place isn’t the worst outcome. They’re tied for the fourth most wins in the league, still have a top-three offense, and are thisclose to a top-10 defense.

It’s all good stuff.

Almost as good as beating Boston in Boston on Super Bowl Sunday.

💫 Stars of the Game 💫

⭐️ Jose Alvarado: Jose gets the nod over the last guy to have this sort of debut as a Knick.

Three years ago, when Josh Hart walked into the Garden as a home player for the first time, he scored 11 points and swiped four steals in 26 minutes in an electrifying win over the Jazz.

Yesterday, when Alvarado wore NEW YORK across his chest for the first time, he scored a dozen points, had two steals and a block, and gave his team so much of what they’ve been missing all year long.

Just like Hart was a hand-in-glove fit, Alvarado feels like someone born to be a Knick. The backup point guard convos can be put to rest, and his point-of-attack prowess is a breath of fresh air. He is already deep inside Mike Brown’s circle of trust.

⭐️ ⭐️ Mohamed Diawara: If Mohamed Diawara goes onto have a long, fruitful career as a New York Knick, I suspect we will look back on yesterday’s game as a seminal moment.

It’s not that Mo (Mo Mo, how do you like it, how do you like it…) hasn’t had a few notable games in his out-of-nowhere rookie season. He notched 18 points in 18 minutes in New Orleans, scored 10 points and two made triples against Portland, and produced several other flashbulb moments that made us want to see more.

But this? This was some grown man shit. 27 minutes, 10 points on perfect shooting, and a team-high plus-22. It was like going to a movie after seeing an awesome trailer and having the movie exceed your expectations.

Much of the conversation after the game was about how much Diawara’s emergence will be a boon to New York’s fortunes in the years to come. I’m as fascinated by that prospect as anyone, but there’s a world where he keeps helping them win important games right now.

And that’s as exciting as anything.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Jalen Brunson: Not overcomplicating this one.

Brunson finished with 31 points on 21 shots and dished eight assists. At this point, we should probably judge Brunson on the two most inconsistent parts of his game: defense, and knowing when to distribute versus calling his own number. In both respects, he was impeccable.

Final Thought

F—- Boston.

🏀

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

1. Between this season, last season and last year’s postseason, the Celtics have scored 90 or fewer points four times. Three have been against the Knick.