GT: Celtics @ Knicks, Game 4 Monday 7:30pm ET

[Fat Kat]

do we know anything about KATs hand?

It’s hurting and he continues to be overly dramatic.

[The KnicksFix]

WTF, the OP says KAT, OG and Mikal all need to have “all-time” games and that this is the biggest game of Brunsons career. That’s all a bit too much.

We need 100-110 points total tonight. That means you need some combination of a 40 piece from Brunson, with 30 from KAT. And another 40 from the rest of the team.
OR 30 from Brunson and the remaining 80 among Hart, Mikal, OG, KAT, Payne.

Asking for Brunson and KAT to put up crazy high numbers is tough for just one player (tho doable). I don’t understand why OG and Mikal can’t give us one big game where they each drop 15-20 and lock up on defense to give us a balanced attack. How else do you propose the Knicks score 100-110 tonight ? What do you think scoring distribution will be? Because that is what it will
Take to beat them.

[MrDollarBills]

When the Knicks have 25+ assists in a game, they are near impossible to defeat. The ball is moving, players are moving, less stagnant ISO ball. I want to see two things tonight. 1 - the ball whipping around with lots of off player movement. 2 - no drop coverage with very physical switching. Get up in their comfort zones, suffocate them. Tatum and Brown do not like to be manhandled.

THANK YOU.

This is all that it boils down to. I'm not giving any of them an inch of room on the perimeter. On offense, the ball needs to move. If I see Hart standing in a corner tonight i will have a mental break

[Wildcat]

When the Knicks have 25+ assists in a game, they are near impossible to defeat. The ball is moving, players are moving, less stagnant ISO ball. I want to see two things tonight. 1 - the ball whipping around with lots of off player movement. 2 - no drop coverage with very physical switching. Get up in their comfort zones, suffocate them. Tatum and Brown do not like to be manhandled.

THANK YOU.

This is all that it boils down to. I'm not giving any of them an inch of room on the perimeter. On offense, the ball needs to move. If I see Hart standing in a corner tonight i will have a mental break

I'll do a wellness check at half time.

[Wildcat]

do we know anything about KATs hand?

It’s hurting and he continues to be overly dramatic.

I personally don't think KAT is soft, but that was overdramatic.

[j4remi]

I hope Mitch practiced 1000 free throws yesterday...and Hart practiced just as many threes.

[SpreeNYK]

Keep Celtics' 3-pointers below 35% and shoot around 35-40% ourselves, and we are good. We should also involve OG better. When OG has a good game, we usually win. 30 Brunson, 25 KAT, 20 OG, 15 Bridges, 10 Hart und some from Deuce and Cam and the world is ours!

But my gut feeling tells me that KAT is not at 100% and will only play to a limited extent.

[Wildcat]

I hope Mitch practiced 1000 free throws yesterday...and Hart practiced just as many threes.

Most teams often have 1 of these problems. It's wild to me we have 2 of these problems.

[MrDollarBills]

do we know anything about KATs hand?

It’s hurting and he continues to be overly dramatic.

I mean the guy's finger is probably broken.

[MrDollarBills]

I hope Mitch practiced 1000 free throws yesterday...and Hart practiced just as many threes.

It's 100% mental for both of them.

[MrDollarBills]

When the Knicks have 25+ assists in a game, they are near impossible to defeat. The ball is moving, players are moving, less stagnant ISO ball. I want to see two things tonight. 1 - the ball whipping around with lots of off player movement. 2 - no drop coverage with very physical switching. Get up in their comfort zones, suffocate them. Tatum and Brown do not like to be manhandled.

THANK YOU.

This is all that it boils down to. I'm not giving any of them an inch of room on the perimeter. On offense, the ball needs to move. If I see Hart standing in a corner tonight i will have a mental break

I'll do a wellness check at half time.

I appreciate that

[LFGK]

Keep Celtics' 3-pointers below 35% and shoot around 35-40% ourselves, and we are good. We should also involve OG better. When OG has a good game, we usually win. 30 Brunson, 25 KAT, 20 OG, 15 Bridges, 10 Hart und some from Deuce and Cam and the world is ours!

But my gut feeling tells me that KAT is not at 100% and will only play to a limited extent.

When OG takes 12+ shots we are just about unbeatable.

[HerSports85]

no need to pretend. this is a must-win. they need to approach this as a game 7

[TKKnicks1]

But my gut feeling tells me that KAT is not at 100% and will only play to a limited extent.

It's his non shooting hand, isn't it? Wrap that mofo up and let's go!!

[Enzo954]

If OG scores 2 points again we are screwed. Treat this like game 7!!!

[nykballa2k4]

Can we please change the starting lineup?

Macri on KFS just mentioned our starting lineup this series has an offensive rating if 59 ppg.
Swap out Hart for Mitch and it’s 113ppg.

Great video. They mention so many things we can change to improve.
But will Thibs?

Watch on YouTube

yeah, it's crazy but the minutes with mitch make the defense better but it also makes the offense much better. weird for a guy who doesn't really score. must be the 2nd chance points

Having a guy in the dunkers spot who is actually a lob threat and defends the paint makes a world of difference over an undersized wing who can't space and isn't a threat at the rim.

Josh with the starters is 4 v 5 basketball and Josh's man can roam freely. You can't do that with Mitch or it's a dunk every time.

It's all the things
It's Mitch in the dunkers spot
Mitch setting bigger screens
Mitch getting O-boards
Mitch getting them in foul trouble (hack a mitch)
Mitch finishing on defense, getting the block/TO or rebound.
Mitch in the paint causing longer shots from BOS meaning long rebounds and fast break chances
even Mitch not getting the ORB, but tipping it out of bounds or delaying the Celtics possession in some way so they don't have a fast break 3.

[Knicksfan1992]

Been laying low on the forum through the playoff run because you all have turned your bipolar selves up ten notches

I'm weirdly optimistic about this game. As a battered Knicks fan I probably shouldn't be but this playoff run has felt different. These guys are battle tested. Regardless of result I don't think there's any chance we see a drop off of 100% effort at all.

Goals for the Knicks tonight:

-Be proactive not reactive. Dare Mazulla to hack a Mitch early. Boston for all of their might are not very deep now. You wanna hack Mitch? Fine. Deal with foul trouble to your guys and putting us with Brunson in the bonus. Porzingis has a minutes limit. Even if Hauser plays he's been largely terrible over the past month.

-Live with whatever the fuq Jaylen Brown wants to do. If I'm Thibs, then my goal is to try to "bait" Brown into doing some hero ball stuff. Let Jalen switch onto him. Let KAT switch onto him. Make him make decisions. Let him do his iso chit out of rhythm.

-Force feed KAT early in the post. At least you'll know if he "has it" or not. But it's by far our biggest advantage creation play IMO. It forces doubles and can open up 3's for everyone else.

-Need to get Brunson off the ball a bit more earlier in the game. He's one of the best catch and shoot guys in the league. Find any way we can generate as many of those as possible.

- Make shots it's that simple. Early in both games 2 and 3 the Knicks missed a bunch of makeable shots. In game 2 they were able to claw back and settle in eventually. Game 3 they let it effect the rest of their game. A good start is imperative. Ratchet the pressure onto Boston. I swear this Boston team loves to front run. You challenge them and they fold more often than not. The Knicks have a better clutch player than them. You just have to give him a chance to prove it. Don't let them settle in again.

[sol537]

Thibs won’t change the starting lineup (Mitch for Hart) unless we go down 3-2. Hope I’m wrong. Everyone sees it except Thibs.

[Jeff Van Gully]

No injury report?

there is one, but no knicks on it.

[Spree2Houston]

Insert Mitch into the starting lineup and we’ll win this series