Nobody is going to give the Knicks a cookie for taking the presumptive favorites in the Eastern Conference all the way to the 48th minute.
The Knicks expect to be able to look the Celtics in the eye, even if nobody else does. They demand to be held accountable. And there will be plenty of accountability to go around the next few days, before they gather in Atlanta Friday night for the second chapter of this 82-game novel.Jalen Brunson probably had a couple of games like this last year, although off the top of the head it’s hard to remember them.
And there’s little question that they’d better not make a habit out of shooting as deplorably as they did from the free-throw line. Fourteen-for-26 isn’t going to get you into the quarterfinals of the Knights of Columbus foul-shooting tournament, let alone to the final buzzer against Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and friends.
And yet: there was that six-point lead with 250 seconds to go. There was some terrific play out of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett . There were 24 assists on their 36 made baskets, which was significantly higher than the pace they played at a year ago. Lots of encouraging things sprinkled amid the discouragement of a smarting loss.The Knicks aren’t likely to often get such substandard performances from Randle and Brunson, their two essential players.
Still: they had that six-point lead with 250 seconds to go, and the Celtics beat them 15-5 from there. That’s the only thing that matters. And Thibodeau, front of the line, wasn’t interested in conciliatory hosannas. “I don’t want that mindset,” he said. “I want the mindset that we have to make necessary steps to move forward and get ready for the next opponent. We need to build a habit of winning.”They’ll need to do that away from the Garden for their next three games, a tour through Atlanta, New Orleans and Cleveland.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks live stream: Watch the NBA for freeCheck out how to watch a free live stream of the Boston Celtics playing the New York Knicks during the NBA's opening week.
Read more »
Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks Line MovementBoston Celtics vs New York Knicks
Read more »
Celtics vs Knicks Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Porzingis Powers Up From DowntownNBA odds, picks, and predictions for the Boston Celtics at New York Knicks on October 24. NBA betting best bet and free pick analysis.
Read more »
NBA best bets, picks, predictions: Knicks vs. Celtics, Nets vs. CavaliersStitches betting on the Knicks and Nets to win their respective opening games of the 2023-2024 NBA season on Wednesday night.
Read more »