2021-22 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Bulls

The Knicks go for an above .500 record in the second half.

Come on, 7% chance to move up!

Let’s go!

169 replies on “2021-22 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Bulls”

KB Apprentice: Headed to the Garden now. Can’t remember if I’m supposed to cheer or not. 😉

You must cheer, the kids deserve it. But you also can smirk in the end if we get the L. 😉 😛

Fournier is starting to understand that he’ll get more assists if he passes to players not named Randle.

cybersoze:
Fournier is starting to understand that he’ll get more assists if he passes to players not named Randle.

only took him 75 games to figure it out…

Well, Lavine was in the list Noble had for the players comparable to RJ’s first 3 seasons, so if that’s the outcome i’m fine with it. 😀

Hilarious that Burks looked down to be sure it was a 3P and it ended being a 2P.

I give one more miss and Randle will start complaining. I just don’t know if it’s with the refs or his teammates.

Our bigs are being drawn outside by Vucevic and there’s nobody home under the rim.

It’s not a pretty picture.

yay, E has returned to suck up all our salty tears…good to have you back sunshine 🙂

d-mar: I wish we were getting a top 5 pick this year as much as anyone, but this idea that the Knicks are somehow fucking up an obvious tank situation is kinda dumb IMO

Oh, I’ve said before this is largely a problem without a solution at this point. I mean yeah, ideally I’d play Burks and Fournier less, shut down Randle, etc. but the die was largely cast when we didn’t do anything all that smart over the offseason and at the deadline.

All I want is for our win total to reflect the contributions of the guys who have a prayer of being on the next good Knicks team. It’s kinda funny to hear swift say we’re “better” than the Pistons et al. because while it’s literally true, the only direct reward you get for being better than another team is worse lottery odds. The relevant question is how does our young core compare to theirs? I honestly have no idea. All we know is our core + Burks/Fournier/Randle(?)/Rose is better than theirs, and as a reward we get the 12th pick while they might get the 1st.

Quickley might turn out to be the point guard we’ve all been waiting for.

The Bulls broadcast are saying “a lot of people call Quickley the steal of last year’s draft”.

As soon as “some” players got out and “some” players went in my B&W TV set change to color…

I read somewhere that the combo of IQ and Deuce is first in the league as a duo in one of the counting stats. Limited minutes, of course

Fuck Caruso for depriving us of what would’ve been a hilarious lob

pepper: nice cleavage alert a few rows behind thibs…

That’s what tanking means, as the wins are not important we start looking for other good things in life. LOL

It seems to me that Thibs is bringing in the second unit sooner in the first quarter than he used to. Did anyone else notice this?

cybersoze: That’s what tanking means, as the wins are not important we start looking for other good things in life. LOL

heck yeah…

Hahaha. Barrett looking like a moron on his drives and Obi keeps hitting threes…

Knick fan not in NJ:
It seems to me that Thibs is bringing in the second unit sooner in the first quarter than he used to.Did anyone else notice this?

that’s cuz they “earned their minutes” ….hmmphh

Knick fan not in NJ:
It seems to me that Thibs is bringing in the second unit sooner in the first quarter than he used to.Did anyone else notice this?

Yes, you’re right. And some players (IQ, Sims) even sooner.

BigBlueAL: I’ll never forget MJ’s 55 pt return to MSG.

Me neither, and they won the game by 1 pt or something like that.

Bulls broadcast are saying Mitch is a very good player, “he’s as good as Celtics’ Robert Williams”. I didn’t made this up.

Does Clyde ever say “The Knicks movin and groovin” when Randle is on the court ?

Mitch is better than Robert Williams right now because Robert Williams is injured.

d-mar: Does Clyde ever say “The Knicks movin and groovin” when Randle is on the court ?

Only Thibs and Randle don’t know the answer to that. 😉

Owen:
Cant believe I am missing a game where Mitch has started 5-5.

Also a game where Randle has exactly one point with 2 minutes to go in the half.

Prigs!

Always loved how once a game he would steal the inbounds pass after a made basket. Fan favorite.

Raven: Also a game where Randle has exactly one point with 2 minutes to go in the half.

He’s the tank commander, a perfect performance until now. 😀

I read somewhere that the combo of IQ and Deuce is first in the league as a duo in one of the counting stats. Limited minutes, of course

cybersoze:
Vintage Fournier today

He’s terrible.

d-mar: Prigs!
Always loved how once a game he would steal the inbounds pass after a made basket. Fan favorite.

I don’t like to see Prigs on other teams benches. We have a vacant assistant coach position, let’s bring him in.

on what teams does the de facto pg (i.e., burks)…get a rebound and throw it to the power forward (i.e., randle) to bring it up and proceed to turn it over….i mean…is he coached to do that?

Fournier (3 points, 1-6, 2 TO) and Randle (1 point, 0-4, 2 TO) are doing their best but their teammates refuse to tank…

Oh, a Randle’s finest to end the half, jump into the air not knowing what he’s going to do.

I was at the double nickel game with my wife. One of us got a lot smarter and is no longer a diehard Knicks fan…

pepper:
on what teams does the de facto pg (i.e., burks)…get a rebound and throw it to the power forward (i.e., randle) to bring it up and proceed to turn it over….i mean…is he coached to do that?

Maybe Burks saw what you saw in the 3rd row?

cybersoze:
Oh, a Randle’s finest to end the half, jump into the air not knowing what he’s going to do.

I do that when I’m ordering at McDonald’s sometimes just for fun.

One of Macri’s boys did a funny impression of Thibs in a supermarket, something like him bellowing “I need a bag of ICE…ICE!!”

This team really is going to end up with the worst lottery odds outside of the play-in tourney, isn’t it.

Would you believe that the Knicks would be up 12 against the Bulls nearly halfway through the third with Randle and Fournier combining for 5 points?

Actually, maybe…

You could probably make a 45 minute compilation of Randle throwing shitty passes and then blaming the intended recipient for not getting them

This is a super weird game.

Watch Julius. Either he took one too many funny pills or he was up all night with the kid. He’s completely disconnected and disinterested out there.

Randle seems to have trouble other than just his style of play tonight. Even the shots he’s taking that he should be taking are looking bad.

d-mar:
I’m not a professional, but Randle has some psychological issues

well..look at our coach…the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…

Apparently he complained about a foul not being called. The Bulls announcers agreed with him that he was fouled. But his complaint still got a technical.

MSG (section 224) home fans quite hostile to Randle every time he touches the ball. The days of “MVP!” are long gone. Not sure what path that suggests.

Nobody wants to face this Knicks team in the playoffs.

man do i have some bad fucking news for nobody

Barrett with an end-of-the-quarter Randle iso-fling. Way to learn from your elders, RJ.

RJ’s end of quarter fadeaways = Randle’s end of quarter fadeaways
Maybe try a new play?

Come on, I get burks is playing well, but can’t we give deuce a little more run.

It’s still hard to say exactly what his ceiling is but Obi can do some things that most NBA players his size cannot do

the bulls trying to guard Obi with a variety of little dudes is not going to work for them

Just turned it on. That was a nice sequence from RJ, Obi and Mitch.

Also, I will never do anything in my life with as much panache as Clyde saying the word repertoire.

If you can’t avoid it
Just enjoy it!

At this point, that’s definitely true. They’re going to be #12 and that’s awful, but hey, at least enjoy the wins if they’re going to happen no matter what, I guess. What a game for Mitch! Although those were brutal free throw misses.

Brian Cronin: At this point, that’s definitely true. They’re going to be #12, but hey, at least enjoy the wins, I guess. What a game for Mitch!

Not so fast my friend!

Why don’t they do passes like that more? Mitch is there all the time!!

The Bulls are one of those teams where you know they’re a year away from filling out the roster with MLE and veteran minimum guys. Their depth ain’t great.

Quickley made some great finds throughout this game but man back to back Burks game winners is bleak stuff

IQ has gotten so much better at passing off the dribble. It’s lovely to see.

Imagine looking at this team and going, “You know who we don’t need on this team? Mitch.”

That wasn’t even a good play by Burks, it was just an extremely obvious offensive foul.

Z-man: It was dumb for Donovan not to challenge that foul call on Caruso

The guys on the Bulls broadcast said it was a foul and understood why he didn’t do it.

thenoblefacehumper:
Quickley made some great finds throughout this game but man back to back Burks game winners is bleak stuff

Cmon man, Obi and Mitch also had great games, focus on the positive once in a while.

Julius completely checked out… you see these huddles ?

It’s weeeird.

KJG: Julius completely checked out… you see these huddles ?

And at one point was going up the court super slow. He needs to go. I hope Leon sees all of this that we’re seeing.

And at one point was going up the court super slow. He needs to go. I hope Leon sees all of this that we’re seeing.

The problem is that the rest of the NBA sees it, as well. But yeah, I still think they can get someone to trade for him.

The Young Core (Breen’s trademark) had a really good game and Burks is raising the case to keep him…

They did waste Randle and Fournier heroic efforts to lose…

cybersoze: And at one point was going up the court super slow. He needs to go. I hope Leon sees all of this that we’re seeing.

He shows modest emotion now toward his teammates just to save face… otherwise fairly stoic, meanwhile the other 4 on court are smiling, enjoying the game … genuine … He’s such an outsider now… they are just living with each other at this point since there’s no other remedy

Did Randle miss on purpose? :O

It really looked like he did, but I don’t think so.

Holy Shit this is embarrassing from Randle. What a little bitch. Storms off the court like a baby. Meanwhile RJ is doing interviews and giving jerseys to kids.

Get Randle out of here. All good will from last year is gone, well it was gone for a while.

Thibs can join him on the exit door after almost throwing but putting Randle BACK into the game.

Thibs can join him on the exit door after almost throwing but putting Randle BACK into the game.

It was such a strange, strange decision.

With Obi continuing to slowly expand his game and Randle going backwards, Randle is so gone. If they can’t see it now, they are blind.

We are a starting PG and RJ taking a solid step up in efficiency from being a fun and very good team.

Stay the course!

Randle is not happy with this new late-game offense focused on RJ, not happy at all… and Obi’s improvement doesn’t help him either…

I’d not be surprised if he’ll end up missing some of the remaining games…

Brian Cronin: It was such a strange, strange decision.

It was a spiteful 4:30 too .. zero pizazz … my gut tells me Randle feels a bit abandoned by Thibs now that Thibs does dish out a few more minutes to others

I know this is harsh. I don’t say this lightly about professional athletes, but Randle is a loser. He can’t handle the pressure of competing. I don’t think he can even handle the pressure of trying to keep his job against Obi and RJ handling the ball. He has mentally checked out and wants out of NY. Why Thibs put him back in it beyond me unless Obi was gassed.

BigBlueAL:
I’ll never forget MJ’s 55 pt return to MSG.

Me neither. I also remember Charles Smith’s quote: “oh NOW he wants to score 50 pts” after the game.

pile on the julius, pile on the julius 😛

ha, so at the end of the game, instead of just handing the ball over to the ref, ref sticks out hands, julius tosses the ball backwards…i actually laughed when i saw it…yeah childish, but still very funny…

i got to be honest, i kind of like surly folks at times…maybe, if he just rebounds and plays aggressively both offensively (goes to the rim and/or dishes) and on defense he can be of use…fuck how he wants to play, shame on you thibs for not using your rotations in this manner – months ago…

he’s a big, fast, physical guy who’s got decent court vision, solid rebounder…

oh yeah, at this time – no question on the final possesion of the quarter/half/game – the ball needs to be in quik’s hands…until d-rose returns next week…

Deeefense!!:
I know this is harsh. I don’t say this lightly about professional athletes, but Randle is a loser. He can’t handle the pressure of competing.I don’t think he can even handle the pressure of trying to keep his job against Obi and RJ handling the ball. He has mentally checked out and wants out of NY. Why Thibs put him back in it beyond me unless Obi was gassed.

thibs can’t help himself…like scratching an itch..his muscle memory makes his finger point to julius to check in…its like spidey sense….

btw…breen even remarked at it saying it was “a dubious substitution” or something like that and then clyde said “he needs to get in the flow” or back in the flow…but he was also probably shocked that thibs put him back in there…

If you can’t avoid it
Just enjoy it!

maybe time is on some kind of closed end loop and fate/destiny are real…i doubt time even exists outside our universe…

yes, i’d say we’re a pretty safe bet for the 12th spot in the upcoming draft…

Randle is just too focused on himself and his own lousy performance. He’s mad at himself. He couldn’t even make free throws at the end of the game. Somehow he has to get out of the mental place he’s in.

BTW… sup Geo. The fam is all good. Me n the wife are taking our first ever trip out of the states to Cancun next weekend. Going to meet up w/my best friend and his wife there. Very, VERY much looking forward to it. Also was able to give the stepkids (who are almost-22 and 18) their marching orders for when we’re away.

It always brings a smile to my face when yall think of me whenever the Lakers take an L (thanks, Cyber!). So let me tell yall – my wife and I are at Chili’s yesterday in Inglewood. I call myself watching the women’s NCAA tourney while she’s watching Lakers/Pels. At the point where we’re seated and then putting in drink orders, Lakers are up 20 (I think it was 79-59). Fast fwd: two drinks apiece, chips n gauc and some SW eggrolls later, I turn around to look at the TV playing the Laker game and they’re down 7 with 20-something seconds left. casually mentioned, “hey.. weren’t the Lakers up 20 in that game?”
She immediately gives me the evil eye.
“Oh you LOVE to point out when the Lakers lose.”
“Nah but for real, when we got here, they were up 20. Now they’re about to lose.”

The silence from Laker fans this season is
GOLDEN. GO SPURS GO!

awwwww that sounds soooooo awesome, travel safe sir…just looked it up, four and a half hour flight, not bad at all…any special activities/tour stuff or mostly just unplug/unwind and connect with partner time…

oh man, crushing hearts with the very calm and casual: “Nah but for real, when we got here, they were up 20. Now they’re about to lose.”

Randle’s whole tenure here is turning into one of his turnover disasterpieces.

It’s actually kind of entertaining.

Cdiggy, be sure to go down the coast to Playa del Carmen and the ruins at Tulum. Well worth it. I actually dumped my Cancun hotel on day one (turned out to be spring break…) and moved to something Hemingway may have stayed at in Playa del Carmen for the week. That was a while ago, they may have over-built Carmen by now, but when we were there it was still something of a sleepy fishing town.

Enjoy regardless!

I was going to make a joke about gofundme and getting Will Smith to slap Randle, but honestly, I’m worried about both of them. Randle way more than Will. Today’s game he looked drugged AND angry. Totally lethargic, walking around aimlessly. Missing layups. Doing everything possible to look like a jerk.

It has the feel of rubber-necking at a slow-motion car crash, where it’s taking all season for the car to wrap itself around a light pole and fly into bits.

It’s actually kind of amazing that he got 13 rebounds in a game he clearly didn’t want to play and didn’t give a fuck about.

we were there it was still something of a sleepy fishing town.

i’m guessing this is pre-walmart la cruz times 🙂

Ironic quote of the night from guess who:
“You can’t replicate the pace of the game in practice,” ___________ said. “Why would you not use the game for your players to develop?”
At this point, the only humane action is to let Randle sit for the rest of the season, apart from the team ala Kemba.
He needs a timeout. To the tiny extent that Kenny Payne acted as ballast for Randle, KP’s departure has seemingly allowed Randle to unravel even more. If he continues to behave this way, he will so alienate his teammates that the harm might be irreparable.

geo:
awwwww that sounds soooooo awesome, travel safe sir…just looked it up, four and a half hour flight, not bad at all…any special activities/tour stuff or mostly just unplug/unwind and connect with partner time…

Yeah 4 1/2 hours not too bad. A tad shorter than flying LA >> NYC.
We have excursions planned 3 days out of the 6 1/2 we’ll be there. Prolly a mix of partner time, a lil bit of time w/my boy, and some double-date time. I’m working to lose 3-4 lbs this week so I can worry a bit less about how I eat once we get down there (I was up to 216.7 this morning and I’ve been hovering btwn 210-214 past two months).

Speaking of unplug… geo, JK47 and anyone else out here in LaLa land – if yall feel like being social, maybe we can get together at a bar some day relatively soon. My job’s sports schedule lightens up considerably in May outside of some possible postseason play and us hosting the conference and State swim championships.

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