Bounce back boys!
Greetings folks!!
Well what a rollercoaster ride its been this past week! Two PAINFUL losses against the Nets and Celtics had the Knicks feeling gloomy like the cloudy weather yesterday. The effort level has been solid overall but late with missed rebounds (think Jeff Green) and big shots (think Marcus Smart). Despite these setbacks this team bounced back in a big way on Friday against the Grizzlies.
The game on Friday started off frustrating. Found myself stepping away from the game a few times to get some air. A few more runs by the Grizzlies resulted in the Knicks being down by 13 in the 4th quarter. At that point I thought to myself: I’M GOING FOR A RUN. After a quick jog and fresh state of mind I turn on the game and see the Knicks are surging back. Randle and RJ Barrett were instrumental in forcing overtime. Result: HALLELUYA! A win in a close game they desperately needed.
Similar results were seen in Sunday night’s game against Toronto. Backed by a strong performance from Kyle Lowry the Raptors erased an 18-point deficit in the 3rd quarter and went up by 4 with 7 minutes remaining. These are moments where the Knicks of old would fold like a lawn chair in a summertime BBQ.
Not on this night beautiful people!!!
Similar surge by RJ and Randle. O how sweet it is to see the confidence of RJ Barrett these past few weeks! He hit a big three with 35 seconds left to help seal the victory out.
This team allows 104.4 points a game which is the best defensive mark in the league. If there is one thing that has been markedly different is the mental toughness of the team this year.
Their defense keeps them in games on a nightly basis. With some sharper execution on offense and reduced turnovers at the end of games the progress will continue to accelerate
The Knicks are now back to .500 and are sitting at 8th place in the east. The playoff race is tight right now!!! Only 2 games separate the Knicks from Atlanta who is in 4th place. 18 games left and lots of big games on the calendar should prove for much excitement and intrigue! Lots of time to go but it was great to end the night on a win!!!
Great news hot off the presses-— the Knicks just defeated the reining playoff champions: The Lakers. The playoffs is anyone’s game now!
Upcoming week’s schedule
Mon Apr 14th , 8PM – New Orleans Pelicans (Away Game)
Mon Apr 16th , 9:30PM – Dallas Mavericks (Away Game)