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2022-23 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Rockets – When a Must-Win Game Isn’t Really a Must-Win Game

The Knicks clearly don’t have to win tonight’s game against the lowly Rockets. I think they’ll easily earn the fifth seed even if they lose tonight.

So it definitely is not a must-win game.

However, the Rockets suck, so the Knicks really really really should win this game, so it’s almost a must-win game by default.

But not really.

How’s 49 wins looking? Still a possibility, which is amazing!

Let’s go, Knicks!

124 replies on “2022-23 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Rockets – When a Must-Win Game Isn’t Really a Must-Win Game”

I’m gonna put it right out there BBA style:

If we somehow manage to lose to this uber tanking team at MSG, it would be the worst loss of the season, and it’s not even close

No, no, this is a must win. It’d be really bad if we managed to lose to such a bad team.

Noble, see bottom of last thread for a recent update on Cam (and Knox).

Won’t bother to repeat it here. Too depressing.

And there’s something else, i’m getting really annoyed that they can’t win a single game to dedicate to the memory of Willis. They should have been moving heaven and earth to get the win for Willis. It’s on times like these that i lose a little faith on the team, you have to win when things matter, and a chance to make a dedication to Willis should be enough incentive to guarantee the win. So tonight is a must win for several reasons.

The Sixers have the tiebreaker over the Cavs, so even if the Cavs win all the remaining games (6), Sixers only need to go 5-3 to beat them. Not happening.

Raven thank you but I was already aware and was poking fun at the fact that E quietly dropped the update gimmick when Cam started Camming

They’re wearing 19 during the warm up. Now feel the shirt and get the win, guys. For Willis Reed! 🏆🏆

“The Sixers have the tiebreaker over the Cavs, so even if the Cavs win all the remaining games (6), Sixers only need to go 5-3 to beat them. Not happening.”

Embiid is out against Denver.

It’s so clear that teams get ultra fired up to play at MSG. And yet we seem to be lethargic once again.

Deuce with a new ‘do. Miss the mushroom. But nice layup.

If you didn’t know anything about these two teams you’d probably think they were about equal.

That was a clown show series of plays. On both sides.

This may be the Obi “just out of reach” game.

“this lineup has no shooting”

Not true, they’ve shot themselves in the foot several times…

Barrett with the nice assist and drive in rhythm. More of those, please.

The Rockets might be the only team I’ve seen this year that simply do not employ someone who can even pretend to be a rim protector

I don’t believe in jinxes so I’ll say what I said in the first half of the Charlotte game – it would take a Herculean effort to lose this game.

RJ Barrett proving he’s quite good against high school players.

Houston rim protector in. The Great Boban.

Obi has ‘knick top draft pick-itis”…a common affliction that strikes our high picks…

I can’t watch this anymore. I’m turning on the Spring Baking Championship!

Quick with 22, Randle with 17, Barrett with 15, rest of Knicks with 12.

Thibs will have a mental breakdown if we manage to win a playoff series playing defense like this

Y’all harp on Brunson’s poor defense, but I don’t see anyone else drawing charges out there.

quickley taking that tech is the first genuine sign i’ve seen of a randle iq thaw

IQ is absolutely looking like Brunson.

Haven’t seen a lot of Sengun but he seems to have touch too

Haven’t seen a lot of Sengun but he seems to have touch too

He has, but the defense looks suspect. If he can’t improve the defense, he’ll be just another Enes Freedom.

The Rockets are hilarious cause a lot of guys impress you individually but my god they are horrible

And meanwhile they are right in this game, thanks to Randle having his head up his ass again…

“Quickley may score 40 tonight…”

Who said that earlier?

Porter and Green are a horrible defensive backcourt despite their top-notch athleticism.

We do so much stupid shit that leads to horrific transition kicks in the nuts…

You could see Randle weighing the small chance at more points vs the extra missed field goal in real time there. Glad it worked out for him!

Hartenstein would be on triple double watch if he got 30+ min tonight

Dallas has a rough schedule coming up…@PHI, @ATL, @MIA, and SAC. That pick is in serious jeopardy.

It took us 75 games to figure out but Hartenstein can really run some offense in a pinch

Mike Breen reads KB and he is reciting my comments about the tiebreakers! 😀

Edit: Still missing the 3 team tiebreaker, Mike, come on!

Wembayana would fit rather nicely on this team

Although he’d fit nicely on any team really

Wembayana is so similar in hype to Ralph Samson. Hopefully he will have a better career.

Time to call the fight

You really get the sense guys love lobbing the ball to Obi

You all are hilarious – haven’t been able to tune in, checked out the comments before the box, and I figured we’d be up by 10 or so. Nah, just 30.

The most impressive thing about this Rockets roster is that somehow DJ Augustin is still in the NBA, I thought he had retired like 4 seasons ago.

Nice win to get the spirits up, we needed a blowout against an awful team and we got one.

You all are hilarious – haven’t been able to tune in, checked out the comments before the box, and I figured we’d be up by 10 or so. Nah, just 30.

It was 12 to start the 4th quarter, so it depends on what comments are you talking about.

Yeah, checked the quarter by quarter summary and see the problem. Seems like we weren’t taking them seriously and then put the boot down.

Seems like we weren’t taking them seriously and then put the boot down.

Yeah, that sums it up well.

If I’d bet he’d have missed that free throw.

I like the Sims sighting.

Ok I’ll find something negative – how come you never see Randle celebrating when the bench is in? And he was nowhere to be found when IQ came out.

Probably not a big deal but …..

Defense was better in the second half, but it is hard to draw conclusions as Houston is a really bad team. Wednesday will be more indicative as to where they Knicks are. Pick and roll, communication, defensive rotations, closeouts, all has been a mess lately. This is not always talked about as sometimes they have their offense going and get the W anyway. However, unless they figure it out on D, playoffs will likely be a brutal experience.

this next game is a playoff game, pure and simple. I simply cant see us not getting the 5th seed if we win. A lot depends on what happens in Toronto tomorrow night. That is an absolute must win for the Heat, and the Raps are playing for positioning in the play-in. I’m rooting for a grueling Heat loss, which would give us a 3-game cushion in the loss column. But no matter what, we need this game.

IQ’s career is beginning to follow a very Jalen Brunsonesque arc. There’s probably some law school kid in south Florida right now telling his buddies on Heatblogger that he would be a great signing if he makes it to RFA.

If the Mavs make the play-in and then don’t have one of their ping pong balls drawn, is their pick guaranteed to not be in the top 10? Or could they still have pick 9 or 10 in that scenario?

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