@

Atlanta:
29-29 overall = .500%.
(15-11 @ home = .576%).

If we can escape Atlanta with a win we'd head into the All-Star break @ not only 6 games above .500 but also with a lot of momentum having gone 6-3 throughout our previous 9 games (along with a 3 game winning streak of our own).

I want this win in the worst way because we're only 1-2 against Atlanta this year and I'm also very anxious to see how our Defense looks against them after the addition of an A+ Energizer in Josh Hart.

Fk Trae Young

blkexec wrote:Josh Hart was the missing component. Now we can match up with both guards (Trae and Murray). Will be an interesting game to see Josh impact on this game. We always have problems with Atlanta but I believe this ALL STAR momentum from JB and new team momentum from JH, along with their Nova connection. This team is very entertaining on both sides.

I’m looking forward to this game. I’d like to see wgat we have versus a worthy for w our new player.

Grimes 3pt shooting is improving, hope he can keep it going

fishmike wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:Grimes vs. Murray is the matchup that interests me.

RJ is playing better in the 4th. Hope to see a better start.

yeah he's not gonna be around in the 4th much longer if he doesnt get over his "disregard that 2-9 first half, Im gonna heat up later" schtick

RJ has closing skills. More important to me than a hot start. But you're right that RJ isnt doing enough in the 4th to obscure the poor starts.

Chandler wrote:i noticed Collins not in the lineup the other day. Is he out?

My biggest concern is Capella. Hoping Sims brings his A game

We need to punish Trae when he's on defense.

Trae will guard Grimes, which is safe for Trae, since the offense is JB and Randle.

Thibs should remind Grimes to set more picks this game. Thats how you make Trae play defense, and force Atlanta to double JB. Hard to beat a team that has 2 players that command a double (JB / Randle).

I want to see Josh Hart on Murray. Murray killed us last game.

Knickoftime wrote:My prevailing stance on any game is it's just a game, but there's more at stake in this game than people maybe realize.

A Hawks win gives them the season tie-breaker 3-1. Not insignificant given where they both are in the standings and in relation to one another.

A Knicks win is 2-2, but the Knicks would almost certainly get the tie-breaker in that scenario.

Tied head to head means to goes to conference record. A win would make the Knicks 23-16 and the Hawks 17-19, a pretty substantial cushion with just 22/23 games remaining. Knicks 3.5 game lead over the Hawks would actually be 4.5.

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/JCMacriNBA/status/1625863307356766219

GustavBahler wrote:

fishmike wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:Grimes vs. Murray is the matchup that interests me.

RJ is playing better in the 4th. Hope to see a better start.

yeah he's not gonna be around in the 4th much longer if he doesnt get over his "disregard that 2-9 first half, Im gonna heat up later" schtick

RJ has closing skills. More important to me than a hot start. But you're right that RJ isnt doing enough in the 4th to obscure the poor starts.

So did Tim Thomas. I have higher hopes for RJ...but those hopes have been waning for longer than I'm comfortable with. I think we're all in agreement (even the RJ fanboys - of which I'm a part of), RJ has to do better. Otherwise we run some combo of Quick/Grimes/Hart at the 2/3.

technomaster wrote:The Knicks now have 1 more legit defender to throw at Young/Murray/Bogdanovic - and a veteran one.
RJ/Grimes/Quickley/McBride doesn't sound so imposing - you can exploit young players and get away with trick plays a few times But headline that group with Hart and it's a different story.

Perfectly said.

Deuce (22).
R.J. (22).
Grimes (22).
Quickly (23).

Mitchell Robinson or no Mitchell Robinson just look @ off our developing youth as Perimeter defenders and it's no shocker how they've struggled against the 3 ball this year (teams let it fly against us).

Before the addition of not only an NBA veteran in Josh Hart but one who's also as relentless (as they come) on the Perimeter?

Knicks 3PT Defense before Hart:
27th in made 3's allowed per game @ 13.0.

Knicks 3PT Defense after Hart:
21 made 3's allowed vs. Utah/Nets (combined) which is an average of only 10.5 3's allowed per game (Only 10.5 made 3's allowed per game would rank #1 within the entire league).

Also since Hart's addition against both Utah/Brooklyn (combined) they've only shot 21/62 from 3 @ only 33.8% against (which would also rank #1 within the entire league @ only 33.8% against).

• Small sample size.
• Very small sample size.
• (only 2 games with Josh Hart thus far).

But I believe we're already watching/seeing the overall team impact of Josh Hart's Defensive intensity (especially against the 3 ball).

HofstraBBall wrote:This is a must win game.

It is a must win game in regards to...

Would you rather be only 1.5 games ahead of Atlanta in the Standings (loss) before heading into All-Star weekend?

Or.

Would you rather be up 3.5 games ahead of Atlanta in the Standings before heading into All-Star weekend?

1.5 vs. 3.5 imo is a big difference in regards to breathing room.

And the real reason why it's a must win (imo) is because the likes of Cleveland/Philadelphia and Miami/Brooklyn all play one another tonight.

Beat ATL and we'll A.) Gain 1 game on multiple teams and B.) Not fall behind in the standings by 1 game to multiple teams.

Okay so maybe it's not a "must win game"

But man oh man is this game extremely important (if we've got dreams of a top 3-4 seed).

HofstraBBall wrote:

Knickoftime wrote:My prevailing stance on any game is it's just a game, but there's more at stake in this game than people maybe realize.

A Hawks win gives them the season tie-breaker 3-1. Not insignificant given where they both are in the standings and in relation to one another.

A Knicks win is 2-2, but the Knicks would almost certainly get the tie-breaker in that scenario.

Tied head to head means to goes to conference record. A win would make the Knicks 23-16 and the Hawks 17-19, a pretty substantial cushion with just 22/23 games remaining. Knicks 3.5 game lead over the Hawks would actually be 4.5.

This is a must win game.

Nice win game.

Still can finish 1 or more ahead of Hawks either way ;-)