After losing to the Boston Celtics on Saturday, the Knicks defeated the Timberwolves 120-107 last night as a remarkable comeback. For the Knicks, who had dropped four of their previous five games before this contest, this was a crucial game.
The Knicks nearly all contributed on both sides of the ball, and they collectively shot 40% from three-point range.
New York required this victory to pick up some steam as it entered a string of games that were generally lacklustre. It is fantastic for the Knicks to go and defeat a really good Timberwolves club because they need to win whatever difficult game they can.
Timberwolves struggle to maintain perimeter defence as the Knicks make it rain from the city centre.
Almost every Knicks player had a great game in this one. namely Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. Without a doubt, RJ Barrett played extremely well, but Randle and Brunson had a significant impact.
Randle scored 31 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and provided three assists while shooting 9 out of 15 from the field and 8 out of 13 from beyond the arc. Yes, eight threes, which is a new best for Randle’s career.
Randle got the game going for the Knicks by making five three-pointers in the opening period. In all honesty, and this isn’t a terrible thing, but it’s rather comical to see Randle’s stats showing that he only made one shot that wasn’t a three-pointer.
With his two most recent games, Randle has recovered from a difficult five-game skid. Randle scored 29 points in the Knicks’ defeat to the Celtics with efficiency. New York did not, however, end up winning.
Everyone is aware of Randles’ difficulties maintaining consistency. He may ultimately revert to his All-Star form if he is able to maintain this level of play for a significant portion of the season.
For Brunson, it was again another outstanding performance, as he finished with 23 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and a 9 for 14 field goal and 2-for-5 three-point shooting percentage.
Brunson has unquestionably been the Knicks’ most reliable starter, which is why they paid him so much. He has been excellent for the bulk of this short season, and the Knicks have needed him.
This was another tough outing from the New York bench, which could be something to take note of in terms of concerns from this game. The bench as a whole made 10-for-32 field goals and 4-for-18 three-pointers.
The previous two games haven’t been fantastic for the bench, despite the unit’s generally strong performance this season. Tom Thibodeau is willing to experiment with lineups, so a change may occur shortly.
Overall, the starting lineup played exceptionally well, while the bench played poorly. The Knicks might develop into a very lethal club if these two groups can manage to play well together.
The Knicks play their cross-town opponent, the Brooklyn Nets, on Wednesday. Even though they’ll probably still be playing without Kyrie Irving, the Nets can win any game they play because to Kevin Durant. The Knicks may beat most teams in the Eastern Conference if their starting group keeps putting out strong performances, though.