It wasn’t pretty, but the Knicks managed to pull through against the Hornets and improve their record to 3-1 on the season, winning three in a row following their opening day loss to the Grizzlies.
Despite not facing very tough competition, this is still a very impressive start to the season. Hopefully, the Knicks can keep the momentum up as the season goes on in order to secure a playoff spot.
The next game for the Knicks is Friday, Oct. 28th against the Milwaukee Bucks. This will be a real test for the Knicks, as through their first three games, the Bucks have looked absolutely unstoppable.
3 takeaways from the Knicks’ crazy overtime win over Hornets
3: Julius Randle and RJ Barrett must be better in clutch time
I figured I should get the only negative takeaway done first, so here we go.
While both Julius Randle and RJ Barrett played quite solid this game, they really struggled down the stretch, shooting a combined 3-for-8 in the final five minutes of regulation and overtime. Despite this, Randle did hit a clutch shot with 19 seconds left on the clock, and Barrett closed the game out with his free throws.
Regardless, these two are supposed to lead this team alongside Jalen Brunson. If not for Brunson’s late-game heroics, the result would have likely been different.
Both Barrett and Randle, especially Barrett, have made plenty of clutch plays in the past, so I’m not very worried about it. However, this was a Hornets team without LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier, so there was no reason for this game to go into overtime.
It has been a bit of a slow start to the season from Barrett. However, we know how he tends to play at the beginning of the season, so there are not many reasons to worry.
As for Julius Randle, this is the best he’s looked since his All-NBA season. If he can keep this up, he will likely win back the hearts of any Knicks fan who previously doubted him. I know I may have had my criticisms of Randle in the past, but I have always wanted nothing but the best for him. If he manages to turn things around this season, it would be fantastic for this Knicks squad that desperately needs him at his best.