NEW KID ON BLOCK
Knicks storm into East’s top four
KNICKS 109 PISTONS 90
In normal Knicks times, preTom Thibodeau, these were the circumstances for a letdown.
The Knicks were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, flying from New York to Detroit following their physical and exhausting victory over the Pacers.
Julius Randle, the team’s leader and star, had logged 42 grueling minutes against Indiana bruiser Domantas Sabonis. Two of the Knicks’ three centers were injured.
But this team is working against logic. Especially Randle. The league’s leader in minutes dropped 25 points Sunday night, carrying the Knicks in the game-breaking third quarter of a 109-90 blowout victory over the Pistons.
“Our just whole M.O. is by any means, we’ve got to get the game,” Randle said. “That’s really what it was. We weren’t leaving without a win.”
It represented the third straight win for the Knicks (18-17), who are now all alone in fourth in the East. They have the lowest payroll in the NBA, but if the season ended today they’d host Game 1 of a playoff series. It’s the first time they’ve been above .500 this late in a season since 2012-13, when Carmelo Anthony led them to a division title and 54 wins.
“No. 1, I’m never happy,” Thibodeau said. “No. 2, I always think we can do better.”
Randle has now scored 20 or more points in nine consecutive games. He dropped 12 in the third quarter, when the lead ballooned from 9 to 24. The blowout might’ve allowed for Thibodeau to give a respite to Randle, but the power forward played until the end and finished with 38 minutes.
Thibodeau never cleared the bench.
“I feel fine. Honestly I feel great. My body feels great,” Randle assured. “That’s why you do all the training in the summer to get yourself ready for these moments. I feel amazing. I could go back out there.”
The Pistons (9-25), meanwhile, did nothing to dispel their status as the worst team in the East. They were overwhelmed and outmatched by the Knicks’ defensive intensity, shooting just 39%.
Dennis Smith Jr., who was
traded to Detroit from the Knicks a few weeks ago, struggled while missing 7 of his 9 shots with two turnovers and just one assist.
The Knicks moved to second in the NBA in defensive rating, a credit, more than anything, to Thibodeau’s influence.
“Thibs is my dog, man,” Nerlens Noel said. “You just look at him and you know what you got to do. He’s definitely an exceptional coach who gives you the energy you need to go out there and do your job.”
The center situation is tight with injuries to Taj Gibson (sprained ankle) and Mitchell Robinson (broken hand). Thibodeau prefers a traditional center and rim protector, which meant Noel logged 40 minutes a day after he played 41.
Noel has answered the call, collecting eight points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three steals. He then added some swagger to the postgame Zoom session when asked about his philosophy as a shotblocker.
“My philosophy? If you don’t know, you’re going to find out. That’s my philosophy,” Noel said.
“Just protecting the rim by any means. I think that’s a great aspect to my game. …So just come and you’ll find out.”
The Knicks don’t give timetables for injuries and Thibodeau often just refers to “day-to-day” for status. But the coach added that Elfrid Payton, who missed his third straight game with a strained groin, was “moving a lot better.”
Derrick Rose started again in Payton’s absence and finished with 14 points against his former team. RJ Barrett added 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting.