PG: Knicks vs Indy: Game 1 ECF

[F N 11]

Only good thing I would say about this game is Knicks not ready for attention they play better as underdogs.

They say Thibs got em Ready but they always gotta get coached up after every loss. They didn’t have ability to lock in to hold that is crazy.. the defense was so cheeks juts because it’s Pacers not because we don’t have the ability, incredible. Finally caught up on Knicks content and Haliburton is talking a lot. If we let this fool take it…

[WaltFrazier]

Towns is def not a smart player much of the time. But he's smarter than 0g, and he is a way better basketball player.

Losing his man is 0g's fault. If he is losing his body due to playing too much, then go tell your coach. Your coach is a moron so you have to tell him as clearly as possible. Go over his head if you have to.

0g apparently liked Randle, who is a totally dumb player himself.

You know who is smart? Deuce. Takes good shots. Too bad the coach tried to replace him with Alec Freaking Burks who is probably the biggest loser in NBA history.

OG is one of the best defenders in the NBA. As good on D as Kat is on offense. He likely got upset with KAT being such a defensive liability that OG has to try to cover for most of the game

You need to read CB’s post

Not sure who that is

Edit - I read it, don't agree with it, replied

[ctorres]

Read on Twitter

man, OG was really close considering the massive dropoff between him and everyone else that didn't make it

Mikal got zero votes this year, but Josh got one 2nd place vote

[Carl_Karlson]

Lmaooo. That shot by Halliburton at the end of regulation. The way it went ten feet high and fell in. That’s the kind of shyt that only happens to us

[kNicksGmen]

Doesn't matter but another thing to be mad about - Hali double dribbled on the game tying possession. Brutal.

[WaltFrazier]

The NBA All-Defensive teams were announced earlier today. OG rightfully made neither team.

He is getting paid 212 million to be an elite defender for this team, and he simply hasn't been that this year.

I think he has been a disappointment this season, particularly on defense, where he has been solid, but not great. He falls well below Caruso, the Thompson twins, Draymond or Gobert in defensive impact.

He also hasn't been good in these playoffs. The Knicks have been 24.8 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the court. This isn't just statistical noise, the value is too extreme to be meaningless.

So back to game 1, he completely blows a defensive coverage on a key possession in the last minute of regulation, he blows a wide open layup earlier in the 4th quarter, he turns the ball over at a pivotal moment, and he's the one to throw a tantrum during the timeout? I also saw him ignoring a dap attempt by KAT when the Knicks were up big, leaving him hanging at midcourt.

He's giving off weird vibes, I'm sorry.

I hope he bounces back in game 2, but I think he may become a question mark for the offseason if he doesn't step up. I'm hoping he does.

He's as good as the All Defense guys. Playing with two defensive liabilities like JB and Towns really limits how much he can do. OG will do a good job on Tatum, siakam, whoever but the opponent just sets a screen to get JB or Kat guarding the star and it's game over.

[RHODEY]

Towns is def not a smart player much of the time. But he's smarter than 0g, and he is a way better basketball player.

Losing his man is 0g's fault. If he is losing his body due to playing too much, then go tell your coach. Your coach is a moron so you have to tell him as clearly as possible. Go over his head if you have to.

0g apparently liked Randle, who is a totally dumb player himself.

You know who is smart? Deuce. Takes good shots. Too bad the coach tried to replace him with Alec Freaking Burks who is probably the biggest loser in NBA history.

On defense?...no he's not.

Yeah 0g is really locking down the perimeter

No doubt

Over his career he's better at it that most anyone else the league, certainly KAT, even including his lapses in the 4th last night. Honestly most of the starters took turns getting burned during that 4th quarter barrage.

So last night they were all at fault...but that isn't emblematic of an entire career for OG....but Towns?,,,,

[WaltFrazier]

Read on Twitter

man, OG was really close considering the massive dropoff between him and everyone else that didn't make it

Mikal got zero votes this year, but Josh got one 2nd place vote

Bondy is right, he was deserving.

Put OG on the Thunder and he'd be doing what Caruso does and more

[K_ick_God]

Only good thing I would say about this game is Knicks not ready for attention they play better as underdogs.

They say Thibs got em Ready but they always gotta get coached up after every loss. They didn’t have ability to lock in to hold that is crazy.. the defense was so cheeks juts because it’s Pacers not because we don’t have the ability, incredible. Finally caught up on Knicks content and Haliburton is talking a lot. If we let this fool take it…

The series is lost. There's no margin of error. You don't do things intentionally that you know, or should know, jeopardize a game that was already won and recover from that. That's not how it works. The margins are already tight and you knowingly put a safe win (very safe) in the trash. Buh-bye Knicks.

[K_ick_God]

Read on Twitter

man, OG was really close considering the massive dropoff between him and everyone else that didn't make it

Mikal got zero votes this year, but Josh got one 2nd place vote

Bondy is right, he was deserving.

Put OG on the Thunder and he'd be doing what Caruso does and more

Yes let's luxuriate in all the greatness, all his fine play. 10 feet off a red hot shooter after you shot a 3 early in the clock because you and your coach don't know what the hell they're doing. Then blame it on your teammate.

So great. OG you're my hero.

[KnixinSix]

IMO Wright playing could help a lot. Their pressure on Brunson led to a lot of the late unforced errors. We need another player out there who can act as a release valve on the pressure and cut down minutes on our key guys with the frenetic pace Indy prefers.

Plus he doesn't chuck early in the clock like Payne.

Thibs aint changing sh*t

Payne vs. Wright isn’t where we lost. Brunson just has these dumb games sometimes, and each time in the post game he’ll say something like I just need to stop turning the ball over, which is obviously true. We let our foot off the gas too early, it was clear, we know it, they know it. Once you let up, it’s hard to turn it back on. That’s how we got Boston twice, that’s how the Pacers got us last night.

If you look at the DRTG for when both Brunson/KAT were on the floor before that point is was insane. You are up 14 with less than 4 left. Bring in your DEFENSIVE CLOSER. No need to have KAT out there when he has been terrible defensively all game. Finch recognized this, Thibs doesn't.

[Context]

Read on Twitter

this was insane. just run the damn clock.

can you imagine Brunson and OG throwing a game...Does it really make sense not to run down the clock with 22 sec left in the shot clock?
20 seconds gets you to 12 seconds and a 5 point lead.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Read on Twitter

this was insane. just run the damn clock.

can you imagine Brunson and OG throwing a game...Does it really make sense not to run down the clock with 22 sec left in the shot clock?
20 seconds gets you to 12 seconds and a 5 point lead.

none of us had JB and OG blowing it on the bingo card. i have to think we come correct from here. in which case we hope spotting them one doesn’t become the difference.

[Context]

this was insane. just run the damn clock.

can you imagine Brunson and OG throwing a game...Does it really make sense not to run down the clock with 22 sec left in the shot clock?
20 seconds gets you to 12 seconds and a 5 point lead.

none of us had JB and OG blowing it on the bingo card. i have to think we come correct from here. in which case we hope spotting them one doesn’t become the difference.

what i learned from last nights game is that Indy team wants to beat us and they believe they can. We have to show them that they cant!

[Adelheid]

Only good thing I would say about this game is Knicks not ready for attention they play better as underdogs.

They say Thibs got em Ready but they always gotta get coached up after every loss. They didn’t have ability to lock in to hold that is crazy.. the defense was so cheeks juts because it’s Pacers not because we don’t have the ability, incredible. Finally caught up on Knicks content and Haliburton is talking a lot. If we let this fool take it…

Knicks need to get punched in the mouth first before fighting back, metaphorically

[K_ick_God]

Oh you can add to the list -- when Brunson is dribbling into the corner and trapped and before he throws to soft ass 0g, why isn't Thibs calling timeout? He can call it anytime there.

Like 20 blunders. Even if he wanted to, the evidence suggests Thibs is unable to make these correct moves.

[HarthorneWingo]

I think both are wrong. We just did what is called gross negligence. Gross malpractice. Whichever you prefer.

They maybe choked a little in OT ... but they kept doing the same brainless stuff too.

Being brainless, taking early shots, is the coach's fault -- because of fatigue, because it's a CORE part of his job, clearly and definitely, no room for interpretation.

It's just completely tossing a win into the toilet -- then flushing hard and holding the flusher as long as you can -- because you're an idiot. There is no nuance here.

Giving up 20 points with 2:39 left in the game is choking. People can spin it anyway they like, but that crap last night was inexcusable. This image is going to be etched into my brain for eternity if we lose this series by 1 game. Thibs and the boys better get it together quick.

Well whatever. Being stupid is not a choke to me. Being nervous is.

They probably did get nervous when they found themselves in OT.

Thibs being still employed as of 5pm the day after is a complete and utter act of malpractice, furthering the original act of malpractice.

Exactly. Young teams choke. Veteran players can lose focus and get sloppy, Thibs included (he should've called a TO when Naismith went off at the end of regulation). But whatever, my bottom line is that while this sucks we're still winning this thing. We have a game tomorrow that we have to win. I'm sure everyone understands the lesson to be learned from last night's game. Time to move on.

[drekwins]

That was the most infuriating part. There was also 17 seconds left on the shot clock on that Towns layout with 40 seconds left. Just run the clock out. I could complain about it all day.

This was easily the most infuriating part for me too. When Brunson/OG turned that ball over... I was stunned. All Brunson had to do was pull the ball out and dribble... until he was inevitably fouled. If he did that, the Knicks win. It was a complete mismanagement of time... quite possibly the most egregious example that I have ever witnessed. And, they were just coming out of a timeout. I do not understand, and I will never understand, why Brunson was rushing there. It's truly a heinous mistake. I'm still mad tbh.

even with the easiest pass there is an unnecessary risk. looking for a dramatic KO blow when the game already is in hand.

they seized every opportunity, no matter how unlikely. we gave them the opportunities. it’s really the worst part.

Someone on X put it perfectly. I would rather be up 5 with 10 seconds left than 7 with 30 seconds. There was simply no recognition/awareness as-to how important it was to drain the clock on EVERY possession. Quick shots and turnovers were worse than shot-clock violations. We made a historic comeback possible. If we did NOTHING but drain the clock, we would have survived.

EVERYONE dropped the ball but I blame Thibs and Brunson most. It was an embarrassing display of low IQ bball, at a terrible and consequential moment... but, then again, that's when these type of things tend to reveal theirselves.

[drekwins]

can you imagine Brunson and OG throwing a game...Does it really make sense not to run down the clock with 22 sec left in the shot clock?
20 seconds gets you to 12 seconds and a 5 point lead.

none of us had JB and OG blowing it on the bingo card. i have to think we come correct from here. in which case we hope spotting them one doesn’t become the difference.

what i learned from last nights game is that Indy team wants to beat us and they believe they can. We have to show them that they cant!

You just learned that? They crushed the number one seed. They beat us last year. Hali believes he is every bit as-good, if not better, than Brunson. Carlisle is one of the best coaches ever. Of course, they're confident. Of course, they believe that they can/will win. No one is going to hand anything to us.

[Context]

none of us had JB and OG blowing it on the bingo card. i have to think we come correct from here. in which case we hope spotting them one doesn’t become the difference.

what i learned from last nights game is that Indy team wants to beat us and they believe they can. We have to show them that they cant!

You just learned that? They crushed the number one seed. They beat us last year. Hali believes he is every bit as-good, if not better, than Brunson. Carlisle is one of the best coaches ever. Of course, they're confident. Of course, they believe that they can/will win. No one is going to hand anything to us.

the #1 seed was missing several key starters. Indy hasnt done anything yet. Even against us. Now if we choke again. Then I will give them credit but
as of right now- the Knicks had a 9 point lead with 54 seconds to go and acted like the game was over. Brunson was sitting and we gained a 14 point lead on them. So no they havent impressed me.