Knicks Leave Atlanta Without a Fifth Straight Win
The Knicks were due for a letdown after reaching a four-game win streak. That letdown came before they could stretch it to five.
Against a Hawks team that had been 6-7 in their last 13 games heading into the night — similar to the Knicks' own 7-7 record over their last 14 — the Knicks followed the script for most of their wins lately. First, they went up big, by as much as 15 in the first half. Then, they went down big, by as many as 16 in the second half. And finally, they made their run and, in this case, only almost won the game, rather than outright winning it.
Instead, the Knicks merely tied it to end the game, before allowing the Hawks to come back and tie it in the first overtime, and eventually losing the game, 140-135, after two overtime periods.
As much of a letdown as it was to finally drop a game after the magical (by Knicks standards) run of the past week, there were still a number of positives to take from the game.
For one, Mike Miller seems to have settled on a closing lineup that is working well. Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson closed out their second straight game together, including playing the fourth quarter and both overtimes. No matter where one might stand on the "vets vs. kids" debate, it's undeniable that this lineup is both balanced and fun to watch, which is more than could be said of many of the Knicks' lineups this season.
Payton's penetrating and passing has led to plenty of easy opportunities for the other four, with Bullock and Ellington finally providing the Knicks with two whole players that can consistently make 3-pointers on the floor at once. It's a novel concept, for sure.
Randle also had a great night on offense, dropping 35 points and snagging 18 rebounds on 13-25 shooting. He doesn't always need to score 30-plus, but if he wants to be a positive player with the Knicks going forward he does need to keep this level of efficiency up (and it would really, REALLY help if his 3-point shot could return again as well — Randle's now shooting a ghastly 9% in February after shooting 23% in January).
Trae Young scored a whopping 48 points between regulation and the two extra periods, including 27 in the fourth quarter and two overtimes combined. Frank Ntilikina wasn't in the game for all but eleven seconds of the two overtimes — one can't help but wonder if his defense might have helped some for a few spot minutes, giving Payton a rest in the process. Especially when Ntilikina had nine points and eight assists for the game and really helped the Knicks make their push in the fourth quarter.
On the bright side as far as playing time, Mitchell Robinson came in and was an absolute force, putting up easily his most impressive game and stat line in recent memory. The second-year big had 15 points on 7-8 shooting, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Most importantly, he only had three fouls in 35 minutes of action, and was able to stay on the court for the close of the fourth quarter and the entirety of both overtimes.
Ellington and Bullock both continued their hot play of late as well, really proving why Miller has them closing games right now. Ellington finished with 15 points on 5-10 shooting, and Bullock had 21 on 8-18. Bullock seems almost a lock to have his roughly $4 million salary picked up for next season, but Ellington may be making a case to pick up his $8 million for next year as well.
All in all, the debate will surely continue to rage about whether the Knicks are going about this the right way. Should they still be chasing wins in February when they're most likely not going to contend for a playoff spot? The only thing for sure is, even in a loss, the team is playing an entertaining brand of basketball right now and giving every opponent a tough time. For now, just before the All-Star break, that's probably enough.
