The Knicks played an extremely competitive game in game 1 of their series with the Atlanta Hawks but lost in heartbreaking fashion. This was a very winnable game as the Knicks had a 5 point lead with 4 minutes and 46 seconds left in the game.
Julius Randle struggled mightily with his shooting but Alec Burks was making up for it with a hot shooting performance of his own. Alec Burks had 27 points and 4 assists on 9 of 13 shooting with several big shots down the stretch of the game. But unfortunately, the Knicks could not get the crucial stops to close out the game.
Every time the Knicks hit a big shot in the 4th quarter the Hawks were able to answer with a big shot of their own. Trae Young destroyed the Knicks, finishing with 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists. He completely took over down the stretch of the game and hit the cold-blooded game-winning layup over Julius Randle’s outstretched arm to win the game.
Now the pressure is really on the Knicks to win game 2 because if they go down 0-2 in the series, they’ll be putting themselves in a massive hole with the next two games being in Atlanta.
According to Land of Basketball, teams that go up 2-0 end up winning the series nearly 94% of the time. Game 2 is undoubtedly a must-win game for the Knicks. With that said, let’s take a look at the 3 biggest takeaways from game 1 between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks.
The Knicks bench showed up big time
The Knicks would not have been in a position to win this game if it wasn’t for the high amount of contributions they got from the bench. New York started off the game shooting the ball horribly and was down by as much as 11 in the first quarter. With guys like RJ Barrett and Julius Randle struggling, it was the Knicks’ second unit that brought them back in the game.
Alec Burks was easily the main catalyst, finishing the game with 27 points with 18 of his 27 points coming in the 4th quarter. He hit several big shots in the 4th quarter and made several plays for his teammates.
Outside of a missed free throw, and a missed baseline jumper in the clutch, his 4th quarter was immaculate. Derrick Rose was also a crucial part of New York’s second unit.
Tom Thibodeau didn’t waste any time benching the struggling Elfrid Payton and Rose was able to provide a spark once he entered the game. Finishing with 17 points and 5 assists, he was getting to the basket and making acrobatic finishes all game and he tied the game with 9 seconds left, which nearly sent the game into overtime.
Immanuel Quickley, despite being a rookie, showed no fear in his playoff debut. He finished the game with 10 points and 3 assists and helped to spark a run late in the second quarter. Even Obi Toppin contributed, hitting an open 3 pointer and finishing a monster jam in traffic which electrified the garden.
New York would not have been in position to win this game without the bench. The second unit will need to play well again in game 2 for the Knicks to tie the series.
The Knicks need better play from Julius Randle
Julius Randle is having a monster year, but game 1 was arguable his worst game of the season. Randle finished the game with 15 points on 6 of 23 shooting from the field. Randle had a dominant regular season series against Atlanta, averaging 37 points per game in the series, but this game he was absolutely awful.
Throughout the game, it was clear that the Hawk’s team strategy was to double team Randle with Clint Capela as the extra defender and force Randle to try to make difficult passes.
This strategy clearly worked as Randle dished out 4 assists but also turned it over 3 times. Despite Atlanta’s defensive strategy, it appeared Randle beat himself more than he got locked down. He was missing pull-up jumpers that he made a living on all season and he even had one play where he dribbled the ball out of bounds with no defensive pressure.
Instead of attacking the basket when he had a slower defender on him, Randle appeared to settle for contested jump shots.
Randle could have been in his own head or this could have just been an off-shooting night, which every all-star goes through.
Either way, Randle needs to play better for the Knicks to win this series. Randle is the hub of the Knicks offense, they desperately need him to score and create easy baskets for his teammates.
The main reason New York is the 4th seed in the East is that he is an All-NBA-caliber player. Randle needs to step up in big-time in game 2 for the Knicks to bounce back.
The Knicks need to shoot better from downtown
Another reason for the Knicks losing in game 1 was their poor shooting from outside. As a team, they only made 10 of their 30 three-point attempts. It’s very difficult to win games shooting that poorly from behind the arc.
RJ Barrett did a lot of things well, but he only shot 1 for 6 from 3. Reggie Bullock, one of the best 3 point shooters on the team, was ice cold the entirety of the game, missing all 5 of his 3 point attempts. Derrick Rose shot just 1 of 4 from 3 and Julius Randle also contributed to the Knicks 3 point struggles, making just 2 out of his 6 three-point attempts.
Most of these misses were wide-open attempts that the Knicks players just couldn’t knock down. The poor shooting from three contributed heavily to the Knicks putrid start. Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett each shot 40% from three in the regular seasons.
As long as New York continues to generate and take open looks the law of averages should eventually lead to them knocking the open 3 pointers down. It’s also crucial for NY to knock down 3 pointers to space the floor for Julius Randle.
The Hawks’ defensive strategy of doubling Randle was aided by the fact that the Knicks couldn’t punish the defense by hitting open shots. Improved shooting from RJ Barrett and Reggie Bullock will improve the Knicks offense by giving Julius Randle more space to operate.
Continuing to move the ball and capitalizing on open looks has to be a point of emphasis heading into game 2.