I truly enjoy reading this blog. I probably post less than I might, because I enjoy the many opinions here (save for the Clown of course).
But I will note that I’ve heard so many in the last month defaming Thibs, as well as asking if OG or Bridges will ever show up.
There is a great deal of wisdom here, but I can say that I would have no idea how to coach the team as well as Thibs has. And it might be time for some people to accept that, in the first two games, Thibs simply outcoached Mazzulla.
And OG and Mikhail have proven to be pretty much exactly what we paid for .
Can’t wait to see our guys back home.
Great times to be a Knicks fan
Celtics fire Mazzulla yet?
— Whoops, I did it again — (reposting)
Great Win!!!
I fell asleep somewhere in the 3rd quarter when the Celtics were on a little run (but still not up by 20) and I was feeling like we were squandering a chance because, while our offense was bad, Boston was unable to shook loose.
After Game-1 there was a little voice in the back of my head whispering we had a run somewhere, we just had to find it.
Watching the rest of the game this morning, without knowing the final score, was another gift in what has been a crazy (and draining) stretch for my sports fandom*.
Thoughts:
– The Atomic Cockroaches are back!
The resiliency of this team is a pleasant surprise.
On balance they’re maddening, they play so bad for long stretches, then they play like potential champs, but in the end we’re always in a one possession game.
It’s the only thing, but it’s a HUGE thing, I give Thibs credit for this team sometimes perceived as lazy and feeble* instead never quits.
– I think we had another strong defensive game and Mitch was a wall. Josh’s and KAT’s offense kept us in the game before JB and Mikal took over.
– Bridges’ 4th quarter metamorphosis in the last two games has no rational explanation, we just have to take it and rejoice.
Yesterday he was scoreless before the 4th (0-8 FG), he scored 14 points (4-4 2FG, 2-6 3FG) in the last stanza.
His final defensive plays in the last two games** have earned a well deserved spot in Knicks’s history book.
– The series is far from over, we absolutely need to win one in MSG.
The good news, we are up 2-0 and we haven’t really played our best basketball on offense, there are things to clean up (turnovers, defensive boards) and open shots should start to go in.
The bad news, Boston has shot 25% from three in both games, how long could the cold spell go on***?
Will Mazzulla show that he’s a coach?
– Speaking of Mazzulla, I used to clown him for his use of timeouts, but I thought it was over after last year. It turned out he isn’t.
Anyway, Boston has high BB-IQ players (JRue, White, Horford) but his floor leader isn’t one of them.
Tatum’s decision making isn’t great and one should really question their coach when, like in Game-1, they completely refused to attack us despite our foul troubles (19 threes on 20 shots in the 3rd period!).
Good for us and please keep it goin’ leprechauns.
– The refs have been terrible, they are letting assault and battery fouls go scot free then they whistle someone for blowing kisses.
You literally never know what they’re going to do, it’s like they had some kind of Wheel of Fortune app in their hands and decide based on it.
Pretty annoying.
* 3 OT wins (all combacks) plus yesterday 20-points comeback in 48 hours.
** at least based on the Regular Season
*** Two-More-Games! Two-More-Games!
In Mazzulla’s postgame press conference, he was asked why he didn’t call timeout before the last possession and he said he didn’t because he wanted to run the same “play” as the previous possession — the Tatum dunk.
I’ve slept on it and that’s still one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard.
Once it goes with Mazzulla, it keeps going — both within games (he didn’t do jack shit to try to stop the Knick runs, last night’s passivity was beyond comprehension) and within series (Miami 2023 goes up 3-0, Knicks 2025 go up 2-0).
Knicks are way more resiliant and mentally tougher than this team and obviously way better coached. Tatum certainly isn’t what you’d call a basketball genius.
And with all that said, it’s still true that Boston missed a lot of open shots and if they make those it’s a series again. It’s not as though the Knick offense has been a well-oiled machine, though it has been very good in winning time.
The thing I woke up thinking about was the Holliday foul. It was so strange how he defended Brunson on that play and how easily he conceded two free throws. Frankly quite bizarre, so unlike Jrue to defend like a chicken with his head cut off.
8 replies on “Going Back to New York Up 2-0”
Another angle. Check the Knick faces on the bench. Hahaha.
I truly enjoy reading this blog. I probably post less than I might, because I enjoy the many opinions here (save for the Clown of course).
But I will note that I’ve heard so many in the last month defaming Thibs, as well as asking if OG or Bridges will ever show up.
There is a great deal of wisdom here, but I can say that I would have no idea how to coach the team as well as Thibs has. And it might be time for some people to accept that, in the first two games, Thibs simply outcoached Mazzulla.
And OG and Mikhail have proven to be pretty much exactly what we paid for .
Can’t wait to see our guys back home.
Great times to be a Knicks fan
Celtics fire Mazzulla yet?
— Whoops, I did it again — (reposting)
Great Win!!!
I fell asleep somewhere in the 3rd quarter when the Celtics were on a little run (but still not up by 20) and I was feeling like we were squandering a chance because, while our offense was bad, Boston was unable to shook loose.
After Game-1 there was a little voice in the back of my head whispering we had a run somewhere, we just had to find it.
Watching the rest of the game this morning, without knowing the final score, was another gift in what has been a crazy (and draining) stretch for my sports fandom*.
Thoughts:
– The Atomic Cockroaches are back!
The resiliency of this team is a pleasant surprise.
On balance they’re maddening, they play so bad for long stretches, then they play like potential champs, but in the end we’re always in a one possession game.
It’s the only thing, but it’s a HUGE thing, I give Thibs credit for this team sometimes perceived as lazy and feeble* instead never quits.
– I think we had another strong defensive game and Mitch was a wall. Josh’s and KAT’s offense kept us in the game before JB and Mikal took over.
– Bridges’ 4th quarter metamorphosis in the last two games has no rational explanation, we just have to take it and rejoice.
Yesterday he was scoreless before the 4th (0-8 FG), he scored 14 points (4-4 2FG, 2-6 3FG) in the last stanza.
His final defensive plays in the last two games** have earned a well deserved spot in Knicks’s history book.
– The series is far from over, we absolutely need to win one in MSG.
The good news, we are up 2-0 and we haven’t really played our best basketball on offense, there are things to clean up (turnovers, defensive boards) and open shots should start to go in.
The bad news, Boston has shot 25% from three in both games, how long could the cold spell go on***?
Will Mazzulla show that he’s a coach?
– Speaking of Mazzulla, I used to clown him for his use of timeouts, but I thought it was over after last year. It turned out he isn’t.
Anyway, Boston has high BB-IQ players (JRue, White, Horford) but his floor leader isn’t one of them.
Tatum’s decision making isn’t great and one should really question their coach when, like in Game-1, they completely refused to attack us despite our foul troubles (19 threes on 20 shots in the 3rd period!).
Good for us and please keep it goin’ leprechauns.
– The refs have been terrible, they are letting assault and battery fouls go scot free then they whistle someone for blowing kisses.
You literally never know what they’re going to do, it’s like they had some kind of Wheel of Fortune app in their hands and decide based on it.
Pretty annoying.
* 3 OT wins (all combacks) plus yesterday 20-points comeback in 48 hours.
** at least based on the Regular Season
*** Two-More-Games! Two-More-Games!
In Mazzulla’s postgame press conference, he was asked why he didn’t call timeout before the last possession and he said he didn’t because he wanted to run the same “play” as the previous possession — the Tatum dunk.
I’ve slept on it and that’s still one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard.
Once it goes with Mazzulla, it keeps going — both within games (he didn’t do jack shit to try to stop the Knick runs, last night’s passivity was beyond comprehension) and within series (Miami 2023 goes up 3-0, Knicks 2025 go up 2-0).
Knicks are way more resiliant and mentally tougher than this team and obviously way better coached. Tatum certainly isn’t what you’d call a basketball genius.
And with all that said, it’s still true that Boston missed a lot of open shots and if they make those it’s a series again. It’s not as though the Knick offense has been a well-oiled machine, though it has been very good in winning time.
The thing I woke up thinking about was the Holliday foul. It was so strange how he defended Brunson on that play and how easily he conceded two free throws. Frankly quite bizarre, so unlike Jrue to defend like a chicken with his head cut off.