23/5/4

62 ts%, 53% Fg and 37% 3fg

We need IQ, Grimes, Obi and even Deuce to wake up in Miami

I'M GOING TO SOUTH BEACH FOR THE WEEKEND SAINT PETERSBURG TO SOUTH BEACH WE HERE BABY!

LivingLegend wrote:RJ last 5…

23/5/4

62 ts%, 53% Fg and 37% 3fg

We need IQ, Grimes, Obi and even Deuce to wake up in Miami

RJ Buckets

I thought for sure Butler was going to play so we caught a break there. But seeing that smug face waving at the crowd and flipping the bird at the end of the game really annoyed me! Give the cHeat credit. They gave us a huge scare. I thought game was over down six in the fourth. All credit to Spoelstra. He's the best coach in the entire league. I bet he can take the best twelve from ultimateknicks and prepare us to play our best and give us a chance to win! LOL He's the Belichick of the NBA imo.

As I stated before, it was going to take a Superman game by either Brunson or Randle to win a game and both were outstanding! Brunson especially had a gutsy game with 30 points. You can tell the ankle was bothering him. Especially on defense where he couldn't stay in front of anyone or rotate fast enough. He also didn't look like himself when he was driving to the basket but thankfully that jumper was on! Huge bounce back shooting the ball 6/10 from three after going 0/7 in game one! Fingers crossed these next three days off heal up that ankle!

Great game by Randle too! I like Obi a lot but he is no Randle. This guy was named an All-Star for a reason. I thought this was his best playoff game of his career. Loved the passing too! Especially that drive and kick to Hart for the three. He moved well and looked healthy. Great start to the game by RJ! We'd probably be down double digits if it wasn't for him. Great effort driving the ball and miraculously hit three threes! I was annoyed Thibs didn't let him finish the game but it was the right move. Hart made some huge threes and got some huge offensive rebounds.

Hartenstein is the unsung hero of the game. Huge offensive rebounds and great defense on Bam. Great move setting that pick to free up Brunson for the corner three where Bam ran him over making it a four point play too. I'd like to see more from IQ but he hit two huge floaters in the fourth. Grimes played good defense on Lowry but he needs to quit the quick hot potato passing as soon as he catches the ball. He's not Ntikilina! Grimes has shown he can put the ball on the floor and drive! He needs to look to be more aggressive! I'd also look to start Grimes over Hart if I were Thibs. We need more production from the bench! Let Grimes check Butler to start the game. We'll finish with Hart anyway.

It's time to start respecting and acknowledging Vincent. This kid can play. Brings back memories of Anthony Carter. Thibs needs to draw up some type of scheme to get the ball out of his hands and off that three point line. That's two straight 20 point games and 9/24 from three.

I'll be honest I don't feel great about going down to Miami. I guess we can steal a game there if all falls into place with some luck but we really need to make some major adjustments especially defensively. Miami looks too comfortable on offense. You cannot bank on us hitting 16/40 from three or outrebounding them 50 to 34 either. Plus Butler will be back. Guys need to ice those ankles and lower backs and Thibs needs to be in that dark room watching film cause we got our work cut out! But I'm glad we avoided the sweep!

Knixkik wrote:Knicks gave just enough to win. Thank goodness for Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson. Never have we acquired a combination of players with such impact in the same year in modern times. Love this team but again we don’t stand a chance unless quickley and grimes have some impact offensively. Considering what guys like Vincent and Martin are doing, it’s not asking a lot.

It's just an experience thing. IQ and Grimes will get there, maybe not this series or this year, but they will be huge soon.

Trio of Martin, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus? It's like their 3rd or 4th playoffs. Each has 4 years in the league too.

Knicks young crew will have their time soon.

Clean wrote:Just noticed that if not for the Hart trade we would be a first round exit for sure. His production has been able to just barely hold us over while IQ and Grimes stink up the place. We need them to figure it out for a game or two and we can beat the Heat. We need useable vets next season to replace the young players if this happens again. We must be prepared for a situation like this.

100% and I think the Knicks would be hard pressed to win even 2 games in that series too

i thought Brothers et al let the game get away from them with all the physicality only to be followed with whistles on touch (or ghost) fouls. Thought Foster et al. found a happy medium

They're looking like a well oiled machine. Nothing flashy, but the ball is moving well and everyone chipping in. They had immediate answers almost every time we hit a big shot (just up until the end).

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But credit where credit is due. Our big 3 took turns carrying us last night. Playoff RJ has been great to see. Was unsure of what Julius would look like in his return, but he definitely impressed. And Brunson does not stay down for long - cranked the star level up for the second half. Hart & Hart were our rocks.

Whole damn series could come down to who has the healthier ankles. If Randle played Game 1, I think we win. If Jimmy played Game 2, I think they win.
Who's going to be the literal last man standing?

gradyandrew wrote:I felt like the Knicks got a lot of help from the refs to win this one. I think NY needs to go back to it's original rotation of starting Grimes and bringing Josh off the bench. Hopefully that does something for Quickly. If Quickly can't get back on track, I'm nervous about the Knicks prospects.

That does a lot for the entire team. He still gets his 30+ mins per game, so I don't see the big deal. Knick fans love him, and he's playing with Brunson in an impactful role as a swiss army knife. But for the same reasons I did not like RJ and Randle together. I don't like Hart in that starting unit, as far as the offensive flow. But Thibs will figure out how to balance that out with his substitution patterns. Thibs is leaning on defense more than offense. The issue is Deuce is on the bench and hes our best PG defender on the team. Hart is better at guarding SGs and SFs. But there's nobody in the starting lineup who can guard quick PGs who can shoot.

This is why I felt IQ would've been a better replacement for Grimes. Then you have Hart passing to Grimes and Obi, which will get them going, especially Grimes.