SergioNYK wrote:I still cannot believe what we saw last night! Something out of a movie! This is not normal! Makes you think if divine intervention or something super natural and unexplained is happening. To come back down 27 at halftime after how we played and how they shot and how the game was being called is just the craziest thing I've ever seen!

OG's tip in will go down as the GREATEST play in Knicks history! Everything has to go right for it happen from how Brunson misses and how the ball hits the rim to how hard and how OG tips the ball. Just an insane special shot! We'll never forget it!!! You also need a lot of luck to come back and win a game like this. Spurs chocked and did us a lot of favors. Wemby missing those 2 FT's, Fox stupidly taking a shot and getting blocked by OG instead of just holding onto the ball and getting fouled. I honestly think karma has a lot to do it. These Spurs have not conducted themselves as a humble team. They've been dirty and arrogant. The game shifted when Wemby got another flagrant.

Shoutout to Mike Brown for pushing the right buttons. What did he say to these guys at halftime? Stuff of legends! Putting GTA5 out there with Brunson changed the game. His ball pressure, ability to get into the paint, toughness and defense was huge. We needed some toughness and GTA5 getting physical with Wemby was huge. He also had two clutch shots late in the game.

So glad we finished this comeback cause I can't imagine how Josh Hart would have felt if we didn't. I love Hart and that was so uncharacteristic of him to miss that dunk/layup and give up that offensive rebound.

3-1 and 1 more to go. I cannot believe it. So glad these players have way more resiliency than I did as a fan going into this game. In my defense it's my Knicks PTSD. I'm just not used to things working out like this!

agree 100%

I'll add one more thing. Yes Fox screwed up going for the layup but as you mentioned Hart blew a dunk and a closeout, each of which would have helped us.

Moreover, and I haven't seen this mentioned, Mitch Johnson actually drew up a winning play at the end. Castle rolled to the rim (not Wemby) for the alley oop and Josh was caught behind him trailing fighting over Wemby's screen. IF NOT FOR KAT's DEFENSE, that could have been the winner right there.

AND others who know more might comment, but if Hart tried to cut under that screen, then I think Wemby would have rolled the other way and Hart would have acted as a screen on Mitch.

Basketball play gurus should comment, but to my eyes that was an astonishingly good out of bounds play but KAT SAVED THE DAY WITH HIS DEFENSE

HofstraBBall wrote:

martin wrote:

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://www.twitter.com/NBA/status/2064940106050326763

Been saying how important it was to have guys crash the boards since you have Wemby challenging most shots and leaving opportunities for offensive rebounds. Funny thing was that KAT was also there for the last shot follow up if OG missed the tap in. Hoping they do more of that the rest of the series. .
Funny cuz I felt JB had OG wide open but credit to OG for crashing the boards regardless. He commented after the game that coach Brown challenged him to use his athleticism to get offensive rebounds.
Props also to Brown for missing Jose to relieve pressure from JB.
Incredible win. Gotta close them out though.

if you watch, OG was calling for the ball for the three when Fox dove towards JB. He was wide open and ready, but instead of freezing, as soon as he saw JB try his logo shot he crashed to the boards and soared over some very hight hands from the Spurs guards

BlueKnickers wrote:

Chandler wrote:

DLeethal wrote:

martin wrote:

nycericanguy wrote:its crazy because we really havent gotten much from Mitch or Deuce these playoffs.

I mean Deuce hasn't scored a single point these last 2 games and 2.8ppg on 20% shooting in the finals. but sure enough Alvarado has stepped up.

Deuce just isn't a PG, its why he won't get a big contract IMO. nice 3 & D guy but a tweener.

Deuce is the one easily tradable contract that has overlapping talent if the Knicks bring back Shamet and if they want to do something different. And it's a position that they need more ball handling as that is the one area the Knicks can be taken advantage of.

100% agree. They need a high level backup guard who can take ball handling duties and hit shots. If you could combine Deuce and Alvarado it would be a perfect match, but not sure either guy is the long term answer for that role. But it's a key role to address in the offseason.

I think we need more size. Honestly Cade is a moose. SHai is big. Harden is big. and all the San Antonio guards are big We can't keep running out smurfs and expect it to work but wtf do I know; we're in the finals and one game away

I would like to find a role for Deuce but it's not as a pg. He (and Jose too) do not know how to run an offense. Jose fortunately has been ferocious out there. After his single leg take down he wanted to step over Wemby too. McBride looks lost out there right now. Maybe we use him in a microwave type role

McCullar is 6'5" with a good handle and much better passing ability than anyone besides Kolek.

McCullar's size and elite defensive profile means he is what this team is missing ATM, but he is not active again until next season

McCullar would be awesome if that happens

martin wrote:

aggo wrote:

martin wrote:

Uptown wrote:Props to Mike Brown foe pushing sll the right buttons....Playing Alvarado and Brunson together down the stretch was risky and smart. Got Brunson off the ball and Alavarado gave them another player that can get 2 feet in the paint and spray for a 3.

Also, putting Kat on the inbounder was smart. Spurs were trying to throw an alley-oop to Castle. Kat got a finger on the ball.....this is unreal!!!

Interesting breakdown

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://www.twitter.com/Mike_Jagacki/status/2064931553721901358

I wish we had more insight into this

if the defensive call is to double brunson, why complicate matchups by pre switching? Brunson has passed out of all the double teams no matter it was Wemby or not.

second, why would wemby pre switch onto mikal?

if the point is for wemby to sit the backline, Mikal is probably going to one of the corners. if its single action with mikal, you're now switching ur preswitch by putting wemby onto the ball. which is exactly what ended up happening. what makes more sense if the goal is for wemby to end up on the backline help defender is to preswitch him onto brunson to START the possession.

I think those questions are answered from the opposite perspective: Brown set up the guys strategically so that Wemby had to make a flash decision and he couldn't.

A+ for Brown and coaches if that was the intent

exactly, and somehow I suspect they had counters anyway with their mystical concept offense

Game came down to Spurs not guarding the inbounder and the Knicks doing the opposite. What happens if they had Kornet in there for Fox but guarding the inbounds????

Chandler wrote:

martin wrote:

aggo wrote:

martin wrote:

Uptown wrote:Props to Mike Brown foe pushing sll the right buttons....Playing Alvarado and Brunson together down the stretch was risky and smart. Got Brunson off the ball and Alavarado gave them another player that can get 2 feet in the paint and spray for a 3.

Also, putting Kat on the inbounder was smart. Spurs were trying to throw an alley-oop to Castle. Kat got a finger on the ball.....this is unreal!!!

Interesting breakdown

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://www.twitter.com/Mike_Jagacki/status/2064931553721901358

I wish we had more insight into this

if the defensive call is to double brunson, why complicate matchups by pre switching? Brunson has passed out of all the double teams no matter it was Wemby or not.

second, why would wemby pre switch onto mikal?

if the point is for wemby to sit the backline, Mikal is probably going to one of the corners. if its single action with mikal, you're now switching ur preswitch by putting wemby onto the ball. which is exactly what ended up happening. what makes more sense if the goal is for wemby to end up on the backline help defender is to preswitch him onto brunson to START the possession.

I think those questions are answered from the opposite perspective: Brown set up the guys strategically so that Wemby had to make a flash decision and he couldn't.

A+ for Brown and coaches if that was the intent

exactly, and somehow I suspect they had counters anyway with their mystical concept offense

Game came down to Spurs not guarding the inbounder and the Knicks doing the opposite. What happens if they had Kornet in there for Fox but guarding the inbounds????

Truth! And it so happened that KAT got a touch on inbounds and that was that

A++++++ for Brown and coaches

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://www.twitter.com/livbensondaily/status/2065148090210771134

Chandler wrote:

HofstraBBall wrote:

martin wrote:

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://www.twitter.com/NBA/status/2064940106050326763

Been saying how important it was to have guys crash the boards since you have Wemby challenging most shots and leaving opportunities for offensive rebounds. Funny thing was that KAT was also there for the last shot follow up if OG missed the tap in. Hoping they do more of that the rest of the series. .
Funny cuz I felt JB had OG wide open but credit to OG for crashing the boards regardless. He commented after the game that coach Brown challenged him to use his athleticism to get offensive rebounds.
Props also to Brown for missing Jose to relieve pressure from JB.
Incredible win. Gotta close them out though.

if you watch, OG was calling for the ball for the three when Fox dove towards JB. He was wide open and ready, but instead of freezing, as soon as he saw JB try his logo shot he crashed to the boards and soared over some very hight hands from the Spurs guards

Agree. If He gets that pass, he has 3 seconds to shoot or a 2 on 1 on KATs defender if he drives.
But to his credit, not a second of pouting, just immediately crashed the boards. Incredible.
No we just have to close this out and make that the most iconic moment in Knicks history .

but Hart, Alvarado, mikal, OG have all shot the 3 with quick triggers vs this coverage and have been successful.

Knicks are getting better and better shots vs this look as the games progress

really feels like the tactics on both sides are now expended and its really just refining things at the margins.