How much of a grace period does a defending champion get when the following season starts off rough?
Some fans will always panic after every loss. For the most part, though, New York Knicks fans weren’t super concerned with their team’s 2-4 start. Disappointed, sure, but they were at least competitive in each game they lost.
Some cracks did begin to show, though, when a (small) portion of the Knicks fanbase was unhappy to see Jalen Brunson on stage with Harry Styles at a Halloween concert. With both him and the team off to a slow start, why is he not locked in on how to help himself and the squad get back on track? (Again, I stress, these were the thoughts of a very small percentage of Knicks fans.)
That grace period could have ended after Monday. The Knicks let the Brooklyn Nets dominate in the third quarter, and entered the fourth trailing by four. New York pulled it out with a stellar fourth quarter, and the fanbase can be pleased, though they may wonder why it took so long to wake up and dominate.
The fourth quarter saved the fanbase from becoming very alarmed
The Knicks entered Monday having owned the Nets in recent years. New York had won 14 straight over Brooklyn, and they were heavy favorites to make it 15.
It was unexpected that it took until the fourth quarter to pull away. It took a 28-11 advantage over the final 12 minutes to secure the 13-point win. The Knicks didn’t necessarily lean on the stars, either. Instead, they often had Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Kolek, and/or Landry Shamet on the floor during their fourth-quarter runs.
In the third quarter, Madison Square Garden was shell-shocked. The Nets outscored the Knicks 35-24 in a period in which Brooklyn attempted 15 free throws. Brooklyn also scored 19 of the quarter's final 25 points.
What would the vibes have been like if New York hadn't turned it on in the fourth quarter? The Nets finally won their first game on Sunday, and it was their second night of a back-to-back. Knicks fans enjoy consistently beating the Nets, so the panic level would have risen for many of them if they had lost to a lowly Brooklyn team.
None of this means New York is out of the woods just yet. It’s still somewhat worrying that it took the Knicks so long to put away the Nets. Fans probably won't be fully settled until they start decisively beating opponents who have no business competing against them.
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