This is a big game for the Knicks. The Grizzlies aren’t an amazing team, but they’re definitely what I would count as a good team, and thus, this is a perfect opportunity for the Knicks to finally beat a good team. Not counting the Bucks game where the Bucks took a scheduled loss, the Knicks haven’t beaten a team who had a winning record when the Knicks played them in over two months. That just sounds like an absurd stat, right? It’s been over two months since the Knicks beat a team who had a winning record when they played (excepting the Bucks game, but, well, come on now).
So this Grizzlies team is ripe for the plucking. Plus, it has two other matchups we can root for, like RJ Barret trying to outdo Ja Morant, who was taken one pick ahead of him, and Immanuel Quickley hopefully outperforming Desmond Bane, who was taken five picks after Quickley and is hitting 44.6% (?!?!?!) of his threes this season.
That the Grizzlies are playing so well without Jaren Jackson is quite impressive. Grayson Allen has been having a hot streak.
Let’s go get back to within a game of .500, Knicks!
234 replies on “2020-21 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Grizzlies”
Not in our house!
I lowered the bar of my expectations by a good couple o’ ticks, so maybe I’m gonna enjoy this one…
Let’s go Knicks!
well, i’ll tell ya swift – they most certainly do seem to all look alike…
you are now on the path to nirvana
I might have to skip this one.
We look sharp tonight
Well, uh, that went downhill pretty quickly
Is that PT in the third row with the Melton jersey?
Ok
Let’s try to do it…
I started watching when it was 1-0, think I may have jinxed this one
We stink.
Inauspicious debut to this game
Payton continuing to reward Thib’s faith in him
Starting now, let’s turn this around
That was a ticky tack foul but I will take it
through the years of shitty players…you always remember them for certain mannerisms…looks on their faces after certain bonehead plays…the elf payton look of bewilderment after another stupid foul or ariball or turnover…will be one of those fine memories….
have no fears, this’ll most likely be a close game at the end, and just maybe the most agonizing, depressing, disappointing and demoralizing loss of the season…
can’t wait to get home and watch it…
Definitely agreed, pepper, Payton has a signature rabbit-like expression
I always enjoy your optimism, geo.
Randle’s careless turnover and Memphis subsequent basket didn’t help my journey to nirvana…
Randle did it again,
he’s back to a turnover machine…
yeah, the end is near – give or take what your definition of near might be…i feel like thibs and i could sit down and have a good conversation…
This is last year’s Randle.
That thud you hear is Randle crashing back to earth
Clyde’s gravestone will read “Don’t Jump to Pass”
Why in hell do they jump and then look to pass??
Randle is toast
grayson allen’s basketball destiny should have been to be a celtic…maybe that bad karma he generated from tripping and undercutting pepole all the time made him veer of to memphis…
flat
i didn’t think allen had enough size or skill to make it in the pros, i was wrong…looks like he’s getting better too, the grizz are a really good situation for him…
i wonder what mister milo is up to this evening…
oh, never mind…
every once in awhile you see the old derrick rose peeking through and it’s almost like a time capsule…
+1
And “cross court passes should never be allowed” – 😉
So our guards don’t pass anymore at all…whoever has ball crossing half court is likely to shoot … if this isn’t a problem … we have problems.
They’re just gonna let brooks get to that elbow for the jumper every time
No fire
No desire
This quarter was sort of how I thought the Knicks would look all year
yikes, 5 turnovers and 4 assists in the first…that’s not good…
DRose is playing ok, the rest not so much. But what’s worst is our defense, we can’t win defending like this.
140-92 anyone?
I guess playing Randle 40 minutes a night wasn’t a good idea after all
If I were at the Garden I might be wearing a Tillman jersey
Wow great pass to Obi there
Rose looking great. Hopefully these all won’t be front rim come 2nd half
our team is like the “anti-showtime”…our fast breaks are ugly…
Rose looks possessed tonight.
So I’m just watching the feed, and I swear to god for the last five minutes the only name to crop up has been Derrick Rose. Scoring, assisting, rebounds, fouls, steals, turnovers. Is he playing 1 on 5?
13 foot floater high % shot
We’re almost to halftime and our starters have combined for 3 buckets
A good run away
… and we’re only down seven (he types quickly)
Rose has attempted 11 shots already. Not sure that’s optimal.
(not quickly enough…)
So I’d rather not compare CYO ball to the NBA but I’m gonna.. when we were undersized … the game plan on the glass was to “crash the boards” all 5 guys… as soon as shot went up … B line toward the glass. Ok, I get the long rebound could be a problem… but the frenetic crash was actually extremely effective … give it a shot Thibs.
Noel with 2 of em? Jump shots!
RJ Barrett are you serious on that inbounds you idiot
Desmond Bane exactly as advertised
I’d like to know our opponents’ FG % with 3 seconds or less on the shot clock. I’m guessing 80%.
Randles a sulker
Yes then Barrett kick out to Randle. The perfect play.
Haven’t been impressed with Ja.
Seems to be getting stripped every other time or almost losing it in traffic
That guy is the Bane of our existence.
Sorry, I had to go there.
We need to be much better than this, if we want to win the game
Off the pick and roll, have we passed to the roll man yet this season? Asking for a friend.
that kinda sucked and not just bc melton had a boo boo. ja and rj were both mia on both ends. rose had some serious uncut gems energy burst happening.
I dozed off there and missed most of the second quarter – sounds like I didn’t miss much?
Yeah, they’re trying to put the sleeping pills manufacturers out of business
damn zach lavine is having a half
This is more like it
i have a comment in moderation directing everyone to zach lavine
The Elfrid-Rose-Noel game?
I think we need E to weigh in on this…
Ja Morant’s right hand is clearly hurt. He is not going to the rim, which is kind of like Mitchell Robinson not diving on the pick & roll.
As soon as I wrote that Ja is not going to the rim, he drove on three straight possessions. He is avoiding contact.
Valanciunas is chewing Noel alive.
Why would you use an inflammatory word like “resent?” Are you that thin-skinned?
Valunciunas has always struck me as someone who would make an excellent lion tamer in an old timey traveling circus.
39 points for Lavine in the first half. That’s impressive.
There’s a certain irony to phrasing that question so aggressively, is there not?
that was a really nice drop pass of the eurostep by rj
This one just feels over … I hate to feel this way
Do we think IQ gets any burn in the fourth?
Read the thread and tell me where I came off as resentful.
3-1 at the start of the game was our largest and only lead of the night…
Wow. The dude is talented.
Don’t give up hope quite yet. It’s the inevitable late-third-quarter starter collapse that occurs every game. We’re still gonna lose this one, but this section is completely predictable.
Nothing like a 26% 3 point shooter going 4 for 4
I have a feeling we’re gonna come on strong in the 4th.
I didn’t say you did, man.
RE: Lavine, starting to get won over that he might be a legit target for us, but if Chicago is a pseudo-legit playoff team with him he may potentially be content with that.
I am going to enjoy that Brandon Clarke highlight with a side of shame
Here’s hoping! There’s been some signs of life.
First half just so funky too tonite. I felt no optimism at all … usually I have some and then it fades now
He’s the type to go for 80, and given the state of the Hawks’ defense, he might actually get it.
Morant has just been ridiculous tonight
We need an Obi Toppen game
You didn’t but thfh did and you validated him
One could say he’s our only hope
Cool beans. I formally step out of the matter, just gonna enjoy the game.
let’s go quick
Obi rebound dunk assist
good finish to the half
Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in
I’m hoping that IQ to Toppin connection is a premonition of many such alley oops to come
This team loses a lot of close games, but we very rarely get blown out. No quit.
Much appreciated. How’s teaching going? (unless I’m mistaken…)
The crowd is trying to carry the team to victory
That’s what this season is about…in a way….
So if the 2nd unit brings us back … Thibs does what…
Quickley is 5-7, 3-3 on threes. Obi has three (3) rebounds. Meanwhile, the Randle-Barrett-Burks triumvirate is 4-18…
Need more of that …
Well remembered! It ended up getting put on hold, since the school district shut down last year the week I was being hired so that went nowhere. I’m going to reach out to them and see about next year, and I’m fairly certain they’ll be receptive since they’re absolutely desperate for fluent Spanish speakers and I do have that going for me. In the meantime I found a decent online part time job and have been enjoying being a hermit more than I probably should.
Obi is at least starting to show a pulse
These guys can’t rebound …
Bad bounce there, that’s too bad
Quickley and Toppin putting in some good work tonight
My NBA TV feed just shat itself
Yeah, been crushed on boards…
It does kind of feel like they’ve been outrebounding us more than the +3 difference would indicate
Somehow only 3 boards behind them… it sure doesn’t feel that way
That was worth a challenge?
No sound Xfinity NBATV feed … anyone else ?
Same feeling, I relate it to the fact that we lose the vast majority of “contested” rebounds, while the stats include “easy ones”…
All this hard work for a 9 point defecit… ugh Julius is back …
We’re probably padding our rebound totals with how many free throws the Grizzlies have missed
Yes of Toppins 6 I think 3 were corralled by his stomach
8 points and 6 rebounds for Obi in 15 minutes, some respectable work
1000%
This is a good loss
Liked his crashing of offensive glass … doing it more often. Gotta get him working on defensive glass…. and now we’ve gone ice cold… we suck
Randle has completely gone into the shitter post ASB.
The Grizz have a lot of good players to throw at you
I’ve never turned on a player as quickly as I’ve turned on Randle… I will reluctantly accept his contributions…
Whaaat??
Quickley lost on the screens
I wouldn’t mind bringing in bullock for quickley here. I’d like to see more physical D
Fake or real?
I should add if it turns out that way…in other words, this is kind of a win-win situation…
Has Burks scored at all tonight? Seems like he’s due for a dagger three we fail to capitalize on
Is it me or we have a lot of times 2 or 3 guys going for the rebound, and sometimes wasting it
They have to get tougher
Randle should have one job right now … clear out space and get rebounds … if he has the open shot … take it … otherwise let someone else do if
Burks was not out of bounds.. he established
Burks wtf with that shot??
The fake comeback is back
Oh gosh … I can’t watch
dillon brooks wants us to win
“what folly by the grizz”—clyde
When was the last time we went to OT?
Here we go
RJ with ice in his veins
How do we do in close games? Lol.
We’re due in a close game, right? right?
This is going to be an agonizing loss
I can’t endure another heartbreaker
Iso- Randle? Really?
Rsndle is not a closer
ARE YOU KIDDING ME !?!?! Pass the fucking ball
nice…rj bully balled ja
Too much time
RJ is a closer.
I’d be shocked if the Grizz don’t win it here
Barrett has been huge. You almost forget that he’s 20, which is a really good thing…
RJ BARRETT, MAN MYTH LEGEND
I mean come on guys. Win or lose tonight, you gotta love watching RJ this year.
Randle spun 6 times to take a shit shot .. I can’t get past it
great outcome!
basketball gods looking out tonight
We tied too early
Lucky
This team is going to give me a heart attack…
How did Ja miss that?
RJ became a man tonight
As Clyde said… Memphis thus far doomed by foul shots
Let’s win this game. We need this. RJ is starting to become a star. I’ll pick him over Morant.
There the obligatory terrible inbounds defense
I 100% agree…dude got seriously miscast in life, although he is young enough still to find his true calling…
Defense! Defense! Defense!
Morant is bull shit … f him
Always all about the D
RJ my goodness
AAAAAArrrrr Jaaaaay!
rj has been so clutch tonight
We might actually pull this one off!
BURKS!!!!
miracle on hardwood
Burks for President!
Clyde: elusive, abusive…
Zach Lavine quieted down a bit
He even used to be bald while still having the giant beard haha
RJ pulls the trigger on those 3s now very quickly
This is how should we close up. We should put it in Barrett not randle
Somebody let Owen know the RJ Barrett Boat is getting ready to set sail without him.
And you’re damn right I’m taking RJ Barrett over Ja Morant.
Well, agonizing loss for the Grizzlies
The Comeback Kids!
This would have been a good loss but it’s a great win!
noel…bonehead
RJ.
Guess who didn’t ice the game for us
Nerlens has never been known for high basketball IQ
But he has another triple-double. Feels a trifle Westbookian tonight.
Awful play… but don’t let Julius off the hook for missing freebies
what is this like the 4th or 5th game in the last month where rj has come up huge down the stretch?
Most satisfying win of the season!
Agreed. Having a bad game and a triple double is what Westbrook is known for
Bench kept the energy up and kept em in the game in time for RJ to wake up
That was a fake ‘fake comeback’!
Frankie Smokes
They shouldn’t call that foul … guy touched him with a finger nail
The most incredible win of the year…
… Despite Randle trying his best to lose us the game, first with the dumb late shot in regulation and then with the careless 0-2 at the line (his body language was totally wrong, as if the game was already over).
Great plays from Barrett and Burks down the stretch, IQ’s best game in a while, Rose keeping us close in the first half and flashes from Toppin…
Frank gets his first playing time with 4.5 seconds remaining in OT. Thibs is a genius.
We had to put in Frank to get the Win!!!
Great win but some seriously stupid basketball from Memphis
RJ must have like a 40 beats per minute pulse rate
We were due for some close game luck and then we were excellent in OT.
Critical win, but geez they make you sweat every second of every game. Sometimes it’s like torture.
We’re not the only one winning a strange overtime game tonight,
Minnesota blew a 17 point lead and Tatum scored 53… 3 more than Lavine…
By the way, RJ Barret is 20 years old!
Totally.
It’s obv a weird comp, but sometimes RJ reminds me of Jeter. It’s like he has no memory of mistakes. Each play is new. No complaining. Stays in the moment. Down, up, hot, cold. Doesn’t matter. Always the same. I like it.
To me the most impressive moment of RJ’s night was making the 3 free throws to tie the game. That’s not easy.
I will never understand the rules for going into moderation…
The most incredible win of the year…
… Despite Randle trying his best to lose us the game, first with the dumb late shot in regulation and then with the careless 0-2 at the line (he behave as if the game was already over).
Great plays from Barrett and Burks down the stretch, IQ’s best game in a while, Rose keeping us close in the first half and flashes from Toppin…
The Pacers won, but the Bulls lost. It’s starting to look like the 8th place will be a battle between the Knicks and the Pacers only.
Randle was frustrating the entire game but he really stepped up defensively at the end of the game. His help D on Ja in the paint was huge especially in OT.
Knicks have the tiebreaker against Indiana which might turnout to be the difference in the end.
RJ vs Ja is a legit debate at this point no?
No doubt. Let’s not forget Obi. His points (8?) are the ones Randle usually provides. Obi’s gotta feel good tonight. He was needed.
Am I missing something in his numbers or has Ja kind of stagnated this year compared to last? He’s scoring and getting to the line a bit more but his stats seem about the same as last year, all things considered.
Quickley is a better complement to RJ and Randle. Isn’t it time that he became the starter?
That’s great
Lest we forget, Quick had an excellent game.
I think that’s what Z-man meant when he prematurely said great loss. Good games from RJ, Quick and Obi almost make winning or losing irrelevant
Full team effort. Even Taj leaving it all out there (again). This game deserves a proper Farfa recap 😉
the rj vs brandon clarke debate was way better….
RJ as our best player will be great, perfect mindset to lead a team…quik also seems to have a similar competitive nature…
competence and competitiveness together – future is looking much brighter after a win like this…
RJ, quik and burks finishing things out and all fairly certain to be here a while is pretty cool…
oh yeah, I only started watching in the 4th when the feed started getting weird – when I turned on the tv it sorta looked and sounded like the HBO intro, I just started at it for a minute trying g to figure out what was going on…
anyways, point is I think I saw that henson guy in a flannel, t-shirt and jeans…
he looked comfortable, it wasn’t exactly the most professional look though…
he desperately needs to go clothes shopping with elf…
I need to clothes shopping with elf…
Evan Mobley and SGA would be an insane pairing. Then just find your 3-and-D guys with your 33 other picks and see you in the Finals in 2025.
Jowles, i don’t know if you were responding to my (brilliant? LOL) analysis of OKC’s perfect tanking, but you’re in the wrong thread. 😛